Growing Up Jedi: Book Two: Deception
by CardiacCane
Summary: This is the second book in the 'Growing up Jedi series.' The adventures of Padawan Sascha Whitestar continue! Having proven himself a worthy Jedi in his last mission, Sascha will continue to face challenges as the galaxy grows ever darker. With his Master, Sascha will be sent to investigate a mystery that could alter the future of the Republic. Completed, Book 3 ongoing.
1. Prologue

A/N: Characters: Mainly OC,  
Genre: Drama/Adventure

So, welcome to Book Two of my 'Growing up Jedi' series.

This story follows Sascha Whitestar an OC and his friends (also OCs) as he progresses as a young Padawan in the Jedi Order. You'll see familiar faces pop up, but in general the story revolves around my OC characters.

For those who have read book one, welcome back! There is a short prologue and then the first chapter is also posted for your reading pleasure.

For those who haven't read book one, you might be thinking if this is a story worth reading. Any answer that I would give to that question would of course be hilariously self serving, so I'll let my readers speak for me. Here are some of the reviews of Book 1:

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways** \- But you have literally written something about the length of Harry Potter and the half blood prince and I just...holy shit. Am so impressed. And the story's so good too like I was never bored and I'm so glad you've already got the rest of the books (mostly at least) written out so I know you won't randomly stop writing like I've done (oops) and I love how your characters interact seamlessly with the cannon ones it's like they were there throughout the prequel trilogy like if I looked hard enough I could see Aurine and Sascha and Tyra slashing battle droids in the background.

 **Specter 13** \- Oh my word I loved it! Great chap,great story!

 **7doom** \- BEST. CHAPTER. OF ANYTHING. EVER. Amazing, well written...all I can do is give immense thanks for this blessing upon fanfiction.

 **Rampageblast -** Ho-ly Shit. This series is Awesome! I started reading about two months ago and have been really enjoying the series and can't wait for the sequel. Keep up the great work and both Abrams and Lucas ain't got nothin on this! Peace!

 **Canven -** Hi, I don't often review a story so that I find your story so brilliant that I feel compelled to review dispite the perceptual curse of laziness (xD) is just a testament in my eyes to how good a story you have written. The way you have developed a main character that is, both compelling and completely human in his traits, as well as his flaws has me wanting more every episode. Combining that with the detail and thought you've obviously put in for all the other characters you have developed yourself has created a story that has me exited for when you will update next.

So...as you can see I have some rather passionate fans. But I think it speaks to the potential quality of the work. You might not like this story, but give it a shot.

I highly recommend starting with Book one and then catching up with this book. Though if you want to start with book two, I don't think it is impossible to follow the story without reading the first book.

Like my previous story, Book 2 is already completed, so you can expect updates every Wednesday and Sunday for the duration. You don't have to worry about the story suddenly ending or going months between updates.

Anyway, enough of me chatting, lets get to the story!

* * *

 **Prologue - The Jedi Temple, Coruscant, 32 BBY**

Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar sat motionless in his bed in the Halls of Healing in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He was in the Halls of Healing for two reasons; the first was that he had been injured on his first mission as a Padawan, where he had received a gruesome wound that had almost cost him the use of his left arm. Now, after a week of bacta treatments and healing meditation, he was almost back to a hundred percent of his capabilities.

The second reason he was in the Halls of Healing was that in the bed beside him was his Master, Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar. The sandy-blonde haired human slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling rhythmically, and it heartened him beyond words just to see her doing that. Aurine had been terribly wounded earlier on in the mission, she'd been so close to death that at one point Sascha had thought that she had actually died. She hadn't though, but she had returned to Coruscant, placed under the watchful eye of the healers at the Halls of Healing.

He had continued on with the mission, which in retrospect, had been the wrong decision. He had been so eager to get out of the Jedi Temple, that he had ignored the obvious – that he should be by his Master's side. He shifted in his bed and purged that particular thought, there was no use in dwelling on the past.

For the moment, Sascha was meditating, something he had been doing a lot of since returning from Kuat, partially because he enjoyed it and partially because he was under strict orders from Jedi Master Vokara Che not to undertake any strenuous activities. Not wanting to cross the famously strict Jedi Healer, Sascha had spent most of the past week doing every type of meditation he could think of, empty meditation, rising meditation, and everything in between. Today, he submerged himself lightly in the Force, using it is a probe of his surroundings.

He could feel his body healing his arm, strengthening muscles that had been damaged by the blaster bolt that had hit him. Sascha spent some time encouraging his body to heal, not only his arm, but also the nasty burn that had scored his midsection, and he was pleased to detect that that particular wound had been almost fully healed.

Turning his focus outward, he let his consciousness linger on the form of his Master, Sascha could feel her various wounds and how her body was knitting itself together. She had been recovering steadily for some time now, and Master Che had said that she'd be waking soon, he intended to be right beside her when that happened.

He turned his focus further outward, feeling the presences of the numerous Jedi within the walls of the hallowed Jedi Temple. A few spoke more clearly to him than most; one was the Miralian Jedi Knight Luminara Unduli, who had been one of the only Jedi that had seen his potential to become a Padawan. Prevented by an old Miralian tradition from taking Sascha as an apprentice herself, she nonetheless had acted as a sort of mentor for him. He credited her a great deal for his successes and his eventual rise to the rank of Padawan. In fact, Sascha viewed her as almost a secondary Master, which was convenient because Aurine and Luminara were good friends.

He could sense that Luminara was still upset at herself for having the mission to Kuat get so close to becoming a disaster. She had begged for his forgiveness privately on the flight back to Coruscant and Sascha had given it freely, in his mind she'd done nothing wrong, sometimes things went wrong in ways no Jedi could predict…and besides everyone had come out fine.

Sascha then focused on the presence that was brightest in his mind, that of his best friend Tyra Harker. He had been friends with Tyra since…well since forever, it seemed. They had been clanmates in Dragon clan an even within their tightknit clan they had a special bond. He had briefly had a crush on her, but he now viewed Tyra like the sister he never had. In the final, climatic, battle on his mission to Kuat, he and Tyra had held off Kuati troopers against impossible odds, the toughest test for their friendship yet.

Sascha couldn't remember much past the point where a stun bolt had grazed him, setting all his nerves on fire in what had been one of the most painful moments of his young life. He'd fought on, apparently, but he remembered none of it. In the end, he had been struck down by the wound that currently incapacitated him, but Tyra fought on heroically, saving both him and the mission. Tyra had been abnormally aloof on the trip back to Coruscant and she hadn't come to visit him while he recovered in the Halls of Healing.

While some would be offended by having their best friend be so aloof when they were needed, Sascha didn't particularly mind. If anything was bothering Tyra, she would tell him. After all, there were no secrets between them. He sent her a small greeting through the Force and received a quick, friendly reply from his best friend.

Yes, Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar might currently be wounded, his Master unconscious and recovering, but he was happy. He had battled all his life, being less talented in Force than most, he'd needed to fight and work hard just to keep up with his peers. He'd wondered if he'd ever make the rank of Padawan, whether he'd have to leave the Jedi Order behind. Even after reaching the rank of Padawan, he wondered if he truly belonged, after all, he could hardly compare to his friends Doro, Trigg and Tyra. He had battled and almost died on his first mission, but he'd proved something to everyone and most importantly himself. He'd shown that he belonged, proved that without a shadow of a doubt, he was a worthy Padawan. He was going to be the best Padawan that he could be.

After all, the Force was with him.


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

The next morning, Sascha was still in the bed next to his Master, meditating peacefully. He'd always had a fondness for meditation, and he was enjoying just being able to relax and unwind after the stresses of his last mission.

Sascha could sense the Twi'lek healer Vokara Che as she was making the rounds, checking on the status of her patients. There were not that many for her to check on in this wing, besides him and his Master. As far as Sascha knew there was just an Initiate that had suffered a broken leg a few days ago and a fellow Padawan that was recovering from a nasty viral infection. As Master Che came to his bed, he ended his meditation and turned his attention to the blue-skinned Twi'lek that was dressed in a simple brown Jedi robe. Vokara wasted no time on introductions, "Did I not tell you four days ago that you were free to leave, Padawan? You are not fully healed its true, but only time will heal you now, as long as you continue to heed my instructions."

"I'll tell you today like I did four days ago, Master Che, I'm not leaving, because my Master is here, and a Padawan's place is at the side of his Master," Sascha replied doggedly. Master Che had been trying to get him to leave for the past four days and Sascha had steadfastly refused, he was going to be here until his Master regained consciousness. For him, it was just a matter of principle.

The Twi'lek healer sighed, "That is true Sascha, but I don't think the saying was meant to be taken literally. Certainly the devotion to your Master is touching, but hardly necessary."

He shrugged dismissively, "If there is nothing else then, Master Che?"

"There is actually, I want you to deliver a message for me."

He frowned, "Is this an unsubtle attempt to get me to leave?"

The Twi'lek healer was clearly losing her patience with him, "No, Padawan Whitestar, I was going to bring your Master out of her healing trance, but I promised Master Unduli that I would let her know when I would do that, so that she could be there when that occurred." Vokara shrugged casually, "I guess it can wait though, because clearly there is something more important for you to be doing."

Sascha was out of his bed and on his feet in a flash, "I'll be right back with Master Luminara," he said. He bowed quickly to the Twi'lek, before making his way out of the Halls of Healing with a spring in his step.

He made a quick detour to his room first, retrieving a fresh set of his charcoal gray Jedi robes and taking a quick shower. He also took a second to make sure that he was presentable, and that the green and teal ribbons that had come to symbolize his relationship with his Master were still woven into his Padawan braid. Satisfied everything was as it should be, he walked to Luminara's room, and rang the chime.

The Mirialan answered quickly, "You may enter, Sascha."

The young Padawan entered Luminara's room; the Mirialan was in a seated position, clearly unravelling herself from a meditative pose. Luminara's black Mirialan robe was immaculate as ever, her lively blue eyes evaluated him as he entered, "You look well, Sascha, are you almost recovered?"

Sascha nodded, "Almost, Master Unduli, I still have a few more days of recovery yet to go. I still don't have full range of motion in my arm yet, and I need to strengthen a few muscles again before I'm back to full strength, but past that, I feel good. Anyway, Master, I came to tell you that Master Che is going to wake Aurine from her healing trance and I know you wanted to be there when Aurine woke up."

Luminara rose quickly, "Is my comlink broken Sascha? You didn't have to come and tell me in person."

Embarrassed, Sascha stammered, searching for a good response to that perfectly logical question.

"Never mind Padawan," said Luminara, sparing him the embarrassment of actually having to respond. The Mirialan quickly clipped her lightsaber on to her belt and started for the door. "Let's be on our way, it feels like it has been forever since I was able to talk to Aurine, I don't want to delay it any further."

The two Jedi walked side-by-side, making their way towards the Halls of Healing, passing other Jedi in the corridors as they went. "How long does Master Che think it will take Aurine to recover fully?" asked Luminara.

"Master Che estimated around a month when I talked to her previously." The Padawan shrugged, "But she said that she would know better when Aurine was brought out of her healing trance."

"Aurine will take that as a challenge, I'll bet that she'll be mission ready in three weeks."

"I hope so, Master Luminara."

Luminara slowed her stride, making him turn around and look at her, "Sascha, you will have to help Aurine during her recovery."

"I'll help her in any way I can…but I don't think Master Brynar will want my help…it's not exactly her style as I'm sure you know." Aurine was fiercely independent; he still considered it a minor miracle that he had made enough of an impression on her that she took him as her Padawan.

Luminara smiled knowingly, "No, she won't want your help, but you must be there anyway. You will have to protect her from herself mostly. Aurine doesn't particularly enjoy being injured and she always tries to push herself to recover quickly. After all if I know Aurine…and I do, she'll want to get out of the Temple and on another mission as soon as possible. Just be there to guide and advise her. She values your opinion more than you know."

"I'll do my best, Master Unduli," replied Sascha, but he secretly doubted his ability make his Master do anything. After all, she was the Master and he was the apprentice.

Vokara Che was waiting for them as the two Jedi entered the recovery wing of the Halls of Healing. The Twi'lek held a hand up, stopping them from advancing further into the facility. "Master Unduli, Padawan Whitestar, I wanted to talk to you before I bring Master Brynar out of her healing trance. She will likely be rather disoriented and she may not remember much of the events that led to her injury." The Twi'lek glanced significantly at both Jedi, "I insist that you remain patient and heed my instructions, there are many variables in play when bringing a Jedi back from such an injury, and if you will not heed me, I will remove you, forcefully if necessary, understood?"

"Of course, Master Che, both Sascha and I will follow your instructions to the letter," replied Luminara.

Mollified, the Jedi Healer brought the pair to Aurine's beside. His Master was wearing her traditional beige Jedi robe. Though she was a bit paler than she usually was, she honestly just looked like she was just taking a long, peaceful nap.

Vokara took a second to prepare herself, before she placed a hand lightly on Aurine's arm, and focused deeply in the Force.

Sascha watched his Master intently, searching for any sign of her imminent revival. After a short time, he could feel his Master's presence in the Force strengthen and her green eyes slowly fluttered open. Trying to rise from her bed, she was stopped by all three Jedi, who offered words of comfort.

Seemingly soothed, the Jedi Knight lay back in her bed, "Sascha?" asked Aurine weakly.

He grabbed her hand, and felt her squeeze his hand tightly, "Right here, Master."

Aurine fixed her eyes towards the Mirialan, "Luminara?"

"Here as well, old friend," Luminara said gently.

Aurine's green eyes focused on the last person by her bed, "Unless my eyes deceive me that's Master Che…where am I?"

"You're in the Halls of Healing in the Temple, Master Brynar. You were hurt on while on a mission, do you remember that? asked the Twi'lek healer in a soft voice.

Aurine's brow knitted in concentration, "I can tell that I've been hurt, it feels like a bantha sat on me…I feel weak, like I've been sitting in this bed for a month…It hasn't been a month has it?"

"Only a couple of weeks, Master," Sascha replied.

"Do you remember getting hurt, Master Brynar?" pressed the Twi'lek again.

Aurine's eyes adopted a faraway look, "I remember leading Kuati troopers on that mining base…Luminara was with me…we were doing well…then we were ambushed…I remember battle droids…and then looking up at Sascha…that's it." Aurine shook her head slowly, "Why were you there, Sascha? I thought you were supposed to stay behind."

"I rushed to you when I heard an explosion; I destroyed the droids that had flanked your position."

"He saved you, saved both of us actually" said Luminara.

Aurine smiled at him, "My Padawan, the hero…I'm proud of you Sascha."

Sascha smiled warmly at his Master, "Thank you, Master, but I couldn't have done it without your training."

"Still modest, I see…" said Aurine.

As the conversation had gone on, Vokara Che had been using a medical scanner to assess Aurine's condition. Finally she put away the device and spoke, "As I suspected. While you are healing well, Master Brynar, you have quite a long way to go before you will be mission ready, and I must insist that you stay with me for…at least a week here in the Halls of Healing, before you can return to your room." As Aurine tried to object weakly, the Jedi Healer held up a hand, "Master Brynar, I know you, I've treated you in the past, and I know that you want to heal as fast as possible. However, the way you go about this is usually far too reckless and you end up re-injuring yourself and ending up back in front of me. I will hear no objections in this matter, and I think Master Unduli will agree with me."

Luminara smiled easily, "I do agree with Master Che. Aurine, you do have to take it easy, the galaxy will still be there when you recover."

Aurine glanced at him, looking for support. "Sorry Master," he said, "I bow to the wisdom of Master Che, though I promise I'll spend as much time as I can with you down here."

"Betrayed by my best friend and my Padawan, truly this is a dark future I've awoken in," Aurine said lightly. She turned her attention to the Twi'lek, "Fine, Master Che, I'll stay for a week, but not a second more, I'm slightly more responsible now than I was back then, and I know my limits better."

The short conversation seemed to sap most of the energy from Master Brynar and Master Che spoke, "You should rest now, Aurine, your body is still weak and resting will help the recovery process along."

Aurine nodded feebly and closed her eyes, signalling that it was time for the other Jedi to leave her alone. Sascha was the last to leave his Master's side. He was relieved to see his Master awake and was determined that she would return to full health, after all, what was an apprentice, without a master?

* * *

A few days after being brought out of her healing trance, Aurine Brynar still felt like she had been trampled by a herd of banthas. Over her career as a Jedi, she had been hurt plenty of times. Having a penchant for thrusting herself into battle no matter the odds did not always work out the way it did in the holodramas. After a mission, she'd often find herself limping back to Coruscant and proceeding directly to the Halls of Healing.

Still, being a Jedi, she tended to recover rather quickly. She would usually spend maybe a day under the watchful eyes of the healers, and she'd take it easy for a few days afterwards. By that time she'd be back to her usual self.

This time was apparently different. She still felt...hurt. It wasn't just the places where she had been wounded that still bothered her, she would just randomly get spikes of pain that would incapacitate her for brief intervals. Master Che was working with her to pinpoint what was causing these spikes of pain, but so far the healer hadn't had much success. It was odd, to worry about her health. Vokara Che had assured her that it was only a matter of time before she was back to full health, and Aurine was still fairly confident that she would, but for the first time in her life a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind.

Still, at least she had been able to catch up on things. The first thing she had read was her Padawan's report about the remainder of the mission. It had been a very hard read. While she was incredibly proud of how Sascha had acted, there was a part of her that deeply regretted not being able to watch him grow in person. She also regretted that she had not been there to protect him when things had spiralled out of control on Kuat.

One thing that continued to bother Aurine was that Luminara was avoiding her. Sascha was here with her every day, very content just to be around his Master, even if they didn't share a conversation. Luminara, however, she hadn't seen since the first day she'd been awoken. The Mirialan clearly blamed herself for letting things get so out of control on Kuat. Aurine still hadn't ascertained how much of the blame to assign to Luminara, but it ultimately didn't matter. Jedi made mistakes. Aurine knew it, Luminara knew it. Aurine just wanted her best friend around her while she recovered.

Finally, she figured that she might as well be proactive in the matter. She opened herself to the Force, something that was surprisingly hard to do these days, and sought out the presence of her friend. Aurine found her friend in the Force quickly, but Luminara remained slightly closed off, aloof. Never easily deterred, she used the Force to mentally prod her friend. The Mirialan resisted for a moment, closing herself further to her, before she relented.

Knowing that Luminara would come and seek her out, Aurine settled into a comfortable position and waited patiently. Luminara took her sweet time in appearing, but eventually, she saw her friend enter the Halls of Healing and walk over to her slowly. The Mirialan closed the privacy curtain part of the way before sitting on a nearby chair.

Luminara seemed much older than the person she last remembered. There were bags under her eyes and evidence of what looked like worry lines forming on her face. Her friend's Force presence continued to be reserved, and Luminara wouldn't even meet her eyes.

"Hi Lumi," she said, using the childhood nickname she had given her friend so long ago.

Luminara finally met her gaze, "Hi Rini," she said, returning the favour.

Aurine smiled at the use of that name, but Luminara did not. Aurine reached out and nudged Luminara gently, "You didn't come down here to not talk to me, so let's not even waste time with this silent routine."

The Mirialan sighed, "I am sorry, friend, but I am not looking forward to this conversation."

Aurine chuckled, "You just don't like being the one apologizing. Usually it's _me_ apologizing to _you,_ after you bail me out of some of my more ignominious moments."

Luminara continued to look downward, speaking quietly "Yes. Somehow you never managed to make as bad a mistake as I did."

"Lumi. You are being too hard on yourself. You are forgetting some of the horrific mistakes that I have made." Aurine was trying to use humor to console Luminara, and keep her from dwelling on her mistakes. It wasn't being very successful so far.

"I almost got two Padawans killed, Aurine. You've never made a mistake that big."

"Lumi. You are being irrational. I'm sure you made the best decisions you could with the information available to you."

"None of my decisions seemed to be good ones," Luminara muttered.

"Only in retrospect does it seem that way." Aurine nudged Luminara's shoulder, "Come on, Luminara, you are too smart to wallow in self-pity over events that were beyond your control. Plus, Sascha and Tyra didn't actually die."

"I should have sent Sascha home!" she said forcefully. "He had accomplished enough after Narvis Rock. He had done enough to prove himself, but he wanted to stay with the mission, because he's a fifteen-year-old Jedi that wants to see the galaxy. But I should have been the adult, been the one with foresight. He was tired and hurt and missed his Master, I had more then enough reasons to send him back to Coruscant."

"Yeah, well did you ever think that maybe without Sascha that mission could have gone much worse? He was the one that found this Gantar Clavis, and if Sascha hadn't met him, who knows how things would have gone?" she countered, putting a little durasteel into her voice.

Luminara considered that statement. "I've never thought of it that way," she admitted.

"Remember Lumi. Sascha is fine, he was sitting with me just a few hours ago. He doesn't seem to be overly affected by his trauma. You are the only one that seems to have come off worse for wear." Aurine paused, "Why don't you tell me what is really bothering you Luminara."

Luminara sighed deeply, "I worry. I worry about whether or not I will be ready to take on the responsibility of taking on the responsibility of training a Padawan. I thought I would be a great mentor, until I saw how difficult it was."

"You can choose not to take a Padawan," Aurine pointed out.

"I don't have much of a choice. It's either I take Barriss Offee as my Padawan or she leaves the Temple because no Master will take her."

"Or we could break this stupid Mirialan tradition that says that only Mirialan train Mirialan, and let another Jedi train Barriss. There are only three Mirialan Jedi in the whole Jedi Order, and your Master is too old to take on another apprentice. It makes sense to just let the tradition die. It's impractical!"

"Jedi do not let traditions die just because there is a minor roadblock," Luminara countered.

Aurine tended to agree with such a statement, so she chose a different tactic, "Luminara, Bariss is what…eight years old? You have lots of time to prepare for her apprenticeship."

Luminara sighed again, admitting defeat, "Yes. I suppose the correct thing to do would be to learn from my mistakes and address my flaws."

Aurine nudged Luminara lightly, "See! There is the responsible Jedi that I grew up with."

"Sometimes, I think that responsible Jedi only exists in your head, Aurine."

"That's not true and you know it," she said reproachfully.

"I suppose…"

There was a long silence, and then Aurine asked a question that had been on her mind, "How did Sascha do on the mission?"

"You read the report," said Luminara curtly.

"I want to know what isn't in the report, that's why I'm asking my best friend," Aurine replied with a slight edge to her voice.

Luminara ignored her tone and smiled, "He was fantastic, Aurine. Sascha is still a bit rough around the edges, but I had no concerns about how he comported himself."

Aurine nodded, she hadn't expected Luminara to say anything else. After spending months training Sascha, she felt that she had a pretty good understanding of her apprentice. But, sometimes Jedi were different people when they left the Temple. She was glad to know that Sascha was the same person when she was around and when she wasn't.

Luminara rose from her chair, "You should rest, old friend."

Truth be told, Aurine was feeling pretty tired, "Okay Luminara. If you could send Master Che over on your way out, I think she'll put me into a healing trance."

Aurine shuffled into her bed, getting more comfortable. Luminara grabbed her hand and held it for a long second, "Be well, Rini."

"Don't be a stranger, Lumi."

Luminara released her hand, "I won't, I promise."


	3. Chapter 2: Friends

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- This is the first and last recap chapter. It had to be written, but its not exactly the greatest of chapters. Aurine won't be back to full health immediately - that would be a bit cheap. Sascha is basically back to full health already. I would think that Luminara knows about Tyra's brush with darkness and her feelings towards Sascha, but I think she kind of felt that it wasn't the time or place to be discussing that.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** I was thinking about Luminara the other day - you could make the argument that she is the _worst_ Jedi Knight ever portrayed in Star Wars. Like outside of on Geonosis where, admittedly she does some badass fighting with Anakin, does Luminara ever accomplish anything? Ventress beats her, and Luminara is only saved by the appearance of Ahsoka. She gets captured on Geonosis by the zombie Geonosians. Her Padawan blows up the Jedi Temple. Even in death she manages to harm the Jedi Order! I still love Luminara, but her record is a bit sketchy at best. I'm not sure where I'm going with this but...damn Luminara, your record of accomplishments is...thin.

 **thejoker122** \- You'll have to wait and see what their mission is - its going to be little while though.

 **Sirion Lanor -** Welcome back! I wouldn't read too much into the title of the book, its descriptive, but I was literally like...I should probably give this work a name beyond Book two. I was glad that you liked that chapter, because it was one of those 'exposition/catching up' type chapters. I always found the Miralans need to train other Miralans rule to be odd - I actually swear that it was canon in Legends, but I honestly cannot for the life of me find the source of where that rule came from. Shrug.

A/N -

Thanks to the people that pointed out that my prologue had been copied and pasted twice (doh!) The problem has been fixed.

So for the early section of the book, the tone is going to shift just a little - we are going to have a little more fun with the characters. While I think the Jedi Temple is probably a pretty solemn place, I also think that there is room for some hi-jinx and some playfulness, especially amongst the younger Jedi. We are going to round out some of the more minor friends in Sascha's social circle too. I think ya'll will enjoy it. And if you don't...well the story will return to the serious soon enough.

As ever, please enjoy the next chapter

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Friends**

Over the next few days, Sascha watched his Master gradually grow stronger. He aided her recovery as much as he could. Everyday, he would bring her breakfast from the refectory and eat with her, enjoying just being able to be around his Master again. Inevitably, Aurine would dismiss him soon after breakfast to go finish his own recovery, but after those tasks were completed, he generally returned to the Halls of Healing and sat in the unoccupied bed next to his Master.

Today, he and Aurine were meditating together, having sort of a mental, wordless conversation between them. Sascha was taking on the majority of the mental load in maintaining the meditation, Master Brynar normally led their meditations, but as she was recovering, it fell to him to keep the meditation going. Sascha kept the meditation humming along with ease. He may not have been particularly strong in the Force, but he wasn't without strengths and this was one of them.

Feeling his Master's fatigue at maintaining a connection with the Force for so long, Sascha slowly ended the group meditation. As it ended, he opened his eyes to see his Master collapse heavily back into her bed, eyes closed, her blonde hair falling in disorganized fashion around her face. Aurine brushed her hair back into place, "One thing I'll say for being injured, it teaches you to never take using the Force for granted…I can usually meditate for hours without a problem, but today I could barely last an hour, with you carrying much of the burden." Aurine was beginning to show him a bit of a philosophical side that he hadn't seen much of, he wondered if that was a part of her personality she'd just hidden, or if it was a side effect of being unable to exert herself physically as much as she usually did.

Sascha nudged her playfully, "It's alright Master, you'll be back to full strength in no time, only a couple more days and you can leave here."

Aurine nodded, "You're annoyingly wise for a Padawan, you know that? Must be Luminara's influence," she teased lightly.

"I know you're joking, Master, but I learned on Kuat that as much as I respect Master Unduli and she teaches me a lot, I'm _your_ Padawan."

Aurine reached out and ruffled his hair, Sascha, as any normal fifteen year old would, pulled away and straightened his hair back into place. "I'm very happy you think so Sascha, I have to say that choosing you as my Padawan has been one of the best decisions I've ever made." There was a genuine bond between him and Master Brynar, their personalities fit together well and even though they were only a few months into a relationship that would last many years, they were both confident that they would be strengthened by the experience.

"I've been preparing a training curriculum for you while I recover. Master Che says that you can start some less strenuous activities tomorrow and we'll work our way towards some sparring by the end of the week." Aurine handed him a datapad, "Tell me what you think."

On the screen was a list of activities for him to complete each day, as he expected, many of the tasks assigned to him were physical in nature, with a clear focus on developing his below average lightsaber skills. Feeling rather droll, he put an aggrieved expression on to his face, "Master only you could run me ragged from the comfort of your bed," he said sardonically.

Aurine patiently ignored her sarcastic Padawan,"I'm only making sure that you get back to full strength after your injury, and once you are we can go back to a less strenuous schedule."

The young Padawan sighed dramatically, but it was only for show. He was actually looking forward to returning to testing himself physically again, meditating was fine and an appropriate use of a Jedi's time, but so was training with a remote or sparring with a fellow Jedi.

Sascha settled back into the bed next to his Master, and unclipped his datapad from his belt. Having been busy on a mission, he had been catching up on the major events that had transpired across the galaxy during the past few weeks. As he expected, the Trade Federation was causing more problems than it was solving and it seemed that every new crisis meant another team of Jedi dispatched to negotiate a solution. While theoretically a good idea, the Trade Federation had become something of a major thorn in the side of the Republic, and by extension, the Jedi Order.

As he read on, he found that there was good news to be found as well. Peace treaties were being signed, and new technologies were being developed, which were both things that would make lives for ordinary people better. Yet, Sascha found himself focused on the 'bad' news, after all, Jedi only got called into handle crises, planets that handled their own affairs well were rarely visited by Jedi Knights.

He was about to start reading a report about a deepening crisis surrounding the planet Naboo, where he was amused to note that they had a Queen that was younger than he was, when he sensed the arrival of two Jedi he knew very well.

Two young Jedi walked into the Halls of Healing, and once they spotted him, they made their way towards Sascha. The two Jedi were Doro Roa and Trigg Daniel, both from Corelia, and both had been his clanmates during his upbringing in the Jedi Temple. So inseparable were the two Corelians that they were colloquially referred to throughout the Temple as the Corelian brothers, even though they were not related in that manner, or at all.

Trigg was the shorter of the two; he had close-cropped black hair, except for the Padawan braid that ran nearly to his shoulder. His brown and black Jedi robes seemed almost stylish on him, and they concealed a stocky, well-muscled physique. Doro was taller than his friend, he was about average height and build, with his hair being longer and a lighter shade of brown than Sascha's own. Doro's Jedi robes were beige with black belt and boots. Sascha knew that many of the female Padawans in the Temple considered both of his friends handsome…whatever that was worth in an Order that warned against romantic attachments. What he did know was that whenever his friends were looking for sparring partners they had a bevy of female Padawans lining up for the privilege.

The two were also known throughout the Temple for their sense of humor and mischievous nature; though it was only shown within the confines of the Jedi Temple, when they were on a mission, they were as professional as any other Padawan. Still, if there was a harmless prank being played somewhere in the Temple, it was likely that Doro and Trigg had been involved.

Sascha smiled as his two friends reached his bedside. Both bowed to him in a mocking, overly elaborate fashion, "To the hero of Kuat," they proclaimed, with wide grins on their faces.

Sascha laughed, "I think Tyra was the real hero of Kuat, but I'll take the compliments where I can get them." He rose from his bed and embraced his friends, "It's good to see you both. Where did you get back from?"

Trigg shook his head with some frustration, "Some silly task force around Riflor, we were supposed to be intercepting a group of pirates, but they never showed, so we just sat around for a week until we gave up and went home. Our Masters are off trying to figure out what went wrong with the intelligence that we were given. So we figured that we might as well see our good friend, and check how his recovery is going."

Trigg and Doro shared a conspiratorial glance. "Did Tyra really save you on Kuat?" asked Trigg. "If it's true I think we both owe Tyra for saving you."

"I hate owing Tyra," said Doro mournfully. "She was always so annoying when we owed her a favour. Well...more annoying than she usually is."

Sascha shook his head, "Sorry to break it to you guys, but she did save me on Kuat. If it makes you feel any better, I owe her too now."

Trigg waved a hand in objection, "It's not the same for you. She always protected you. Force, she is basically like your sister." Trigg snapped his fingers, "I figured out what Tyra is going to do! She'll make us take her kitchen duty." The two Corelians shuddered involuntarily at the thought of having to take on another Padawan's time in the kitchens, preparing the meals for all the Jedi in the Temple.

"Or you could just say no," Sascha pointed out, "You're big boys now; you can stand up to Tyra."

Doro looked at him oddly, "Pfft…where's your clan spirit, Padawan Whitestar? We're all from clan Dragon, we are all in this together, and we have each others back, that's how it's been since we were younglings, it's not going to be different now."

"Darn right!" called a new voice.

Doro jumped in surprise. Trigg, who had apparently sensed the newcomer approaching, pointed and laughed at Doro. All three Jedi turned to face the newcomer to the conversation, Tyra Harker.

Tyra was a short, athletic looking girl with her brown hair in a practical ponytail. If you didn't know her well, you'd assume that she was a bookish student, probably destined to be an accountant or an attorney. That would be until you got a look at her face – Tyra at all times seemed to carry an almost palpable intensity, she did everything she ever did at full speed, with no reservations. She was not always the easiest person to get along with, but her clanmates had known her a long time and knew how to take the good with the bad.

"I've been practising some stealth techniques that Master Tholme taught me, pretty good eh?" she said, clearly pleased with herself.

Doro recovered his composure and tried to seem casual, "Yeah, I didn't feel you coming at all…but you're lucky I'm a calm and caring Jedi and I didn't try to cut you in half with my lightsaber."

"I'm pretty sure the calm and caring Jedi is sitting in his bed over there, all I see here are a pair of jokers," Tyra said, nudging Trigg in the ribs playfully.

It was good to see all of his friends together in one place. Being a Padawan meant that they were at the beck and call of their Masters, if their Masters were on a mission, their Padawans usually went with them. While Sascha saw his friends on a regular enough basis individually, he couldn't remember the last time they had all been together. Of course, still missing from this clan reunion were Sarn and Eida, both of whom were on long-term assignment.

Everyone was in a buoyant mood as each Padawan shared their latest exploits. Doro and Trigg had told he and Tyra that they been successful in helping curtail illegal smuggling of exotic and endagered animal pelts in some outer rim sectors. When it was his turn to update his friends on his achievements, he told them about what had happened on Kuat, but he glossed over the more intense parts of the story to share the funnier moments that had occurred. Tyra interrupted his story, a gleeful expression on her face, and told Doro and Trigg about how Sascha had been declared a 'Padawan Prodigy' by one of the news networks on Kuat, a laughable idea if there ever was one. Sascha was no prodigy, he had a hard enough time trying to be considered average.

Sascha again took the brunt of the laughs when Tyra showed Doro and Trigg the video of Sascha at the Tevanteer banquet. In his role as protector of the Senator from Kuat, he'd dressed as the Senator's aide. The Kuati clothing had been garish and completely out of character for him, he much preferred not to stand out at all. Still, he could take a joke as well as anyone, he'd oft quoted the maxim, 'he who can't laugh at himself has no right to laugh at anyone else.'

As the conversation moved on to another topic, he sensed the approach of yet another of his friends. Nara Nalto, a Togruta that he had struck up a friendship with as they both ascended to the rank of Padawan entered the Halls of Healing. Nara looked torn, clearly deciding if she should interrupt the conversation or come back at a later time.

Sascha wasn't going to have one of his friends left out of the conversation so he gestured her over to the group with a flick of his head, and the Togruta walked over slowly so that she did not disrupt the ongoing conversation. Sascha waited until Trigg finished telling a story about how he and Doro had rescued a bewildered young Ortolan from a shady looking group of thugs and then introduced the group to Nara Nalto.

Nara was a purple-skinned Togruta, with dark purple montrals that had deep red markings. She was short, just a smidgen shorter than him, and had a lithe build that was typical for her people. Nara and Sascha had first introduced themselves to each other, if you could say that, during an Apprentice Tournament a little more than two months ago. The tournament, which was designed for Jedi Initiates to show their skills to potential masters, had pitted the two against each other. Nara was younger and more talented than he was, but was also seen as something of a selfish and arrogant Initiate, whereas Sascha was seen as an Initiate that resembled the best traits of a Jedi, selfless, compassionate, and calm. Having put up a much more valiant fight than she expected, Nara realized at long last that she was on the wrong path and vowed to become more like him.

Since that day, Sascha and Nara had become fast friends, and while Nara still could come off as slightly arrogant, she was becoming much calmer, and compassionate, seemingly she was on her way to becoming a talented young Jedi Knight. Sascha enjoyed their friendship, though, admittedly, Nara could be a bit annoying at times.

As the fellow Padawans all introduced themselves, Doro commented, "I didn't think Sascha was allowed to make friends outside of Dragon clan."

"Well, it sounds like you need to make me an honorary member of the clan then," countered Nara, jutting her chin out rebelliously.

Tyra and Sascha laughed at the defiant display. Meanwhile Trigg seemed amused by the Togruta, "I like this Togruta already, she's feisty. I always said we needed another Jedi like Tyra…" he then adopted a look of faux-confusion, "…Because if we have two similar Jedi, they cancel each other out, right Doro?"

Doro sighed dramatically and slapped his hand against his thigh, "No, you idiot! It just makes them twice as annoying!"

The other three Padawans laughed at the antics of the two Corelians. It heartened Sascha to see his friends adopt Nara so easily into their little group. Sascha knew that Nara had been so focused on reaching her goal of becoming a Padawan that she hadn't made many friends in her time at the Temple. He had seen through her tough exterior and he had committed to being a friend that she could count on. He was hoping his friends would do the same.

The two Corelians shared a look, "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt adding an honorary member to the clan," mused Trigg. "And with Sarn and Eida both on long-term assignments, we have a few too many humans and not enough females, and you do seem to fit on both those counts."

Doro picked up his fellow Corelian's thoughts, "Though I think to become an honorary member of Dragon clan, you have to prove you belong, thus you have to survive one of Dragon clan's patented sparring sessions," said Doro.

"What in the Force are you talking about Doro?" replied Tyra, hands on her hips, "There is no such thing as a 'patented Dragon Clan sparring session.' Unless you are referring to me beating the tar out of your two jokers."

"Shhh…don't ruin it Tyra," said Trigg with a wink.

Nara shot an exasperated glance at Trigg, "You know I can hear you right?"

Trigg turned to Doro, whispering loudly, "The Togruta is on to us, I say we make a run for it on a count of three…"

Tyra whacked Trigg solidly in the chest with a forearm, and the Corelian melodramatically feigned collapsing to the ground. Tyra rolled her eyes at Trigg and said to Nara, "I find the best way to deal with these two jokers is to hit them when they get out of line…don't worry about hurting them, they're tougher than they look."

"Don't hit me though, I'm fragile," said Sascha drolly, then he reconsidered, "I guess it's a bit late for that."

Doro's eyes brightened, and he pointed a finger at Nara "Now I know where I remember you from! You're the Jedi that knocked Sascha out of the apprentice tournament!" He clapped his hands, "Well that settles it then, we have to get revenge for Sascha."

Trigg stepped in between the two Jedi, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, if we are avenging Padawan Whitestar, it should be me that spars with the Togruta."

"Jedi don't take revenge," he objected weakly.

Clearly paying no mind to him, Nara poked Doro and then Trigg in the chest with a purple finger, "Hey, I have a name, lasers for brains, it's Nara Nalto. And I'm more than happy to teach both of you a lesson inside the sparring arena."

Doro and Trigg looked surprised at the forceful reaction from the diminutive Togruta, and then both smiled broadly, "We'll make a Dragon out of you yet, Nara," said Trigg. "Come on, let's go find an empty sparring room."

Doro put an arm around the shoulder of Nara, but the Togruta didn't take kindly to that friendly gesture, grabbing his arm and flipping him to the ground. The Corelian hit the ground with an audible thud, "Am I a member of the clan yet?" Nara asked the fallen Corelian.

Tyra turned to Sascha, a wide grin adorning her face, "I like this one, can we keep her?"


	4. Chapter 3: Sparring Dragons

**DaWubber -** Gotta be honest, I read this review while I was out drinking, and for a moment I thought I had actually gotten a negative review (not that there would have been anything wrong with that!). You scared the bejeezus out of me! Thank you very much for the review though!

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Nara is going to be in this fic a bit...but she really gets her time to shine in Book 3.

 **thejoker122** \- I have to imagine that there had been a bunch of Jedi that had fallen to the dark side since the Sith were defeated at Ruusan. The difference between a dark Jedi and a Sith is a philosophical one. Like Ventress is, generally speaking, a dark Jedi/dark side acolyte. Whereas Dooku is a Sith. There are only ever two Sith at a time, so right now it is Maul/Palpatine. The odd thing for me is that at the end of Episode I, Yoda basically (and correctly) calls Maul a Sith...and we have no idea how he came to that conclusion. I hope I'll make things clear when we get to that point in the fic.

 **Sirion Lanor -** That chapter, admittedly gets slightly on the slapsticky side, but I don't think you have to worry about that tone continuing (past this chapter, perhaps).

 **Guest -** Hey! Thanks for the review! I like to think that my writing is pretty nice, but it is nice to hear someone else confirm that opinion of mine. Glad to have you along for the ride.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** Yeah Naboo is totally boring. Looks like a nice vacation spot though! I love the comparison of Doro and Trigg to the Weasleys, totally not a HP fanboy, so I missed on the connection, but now that you said it, it feels like a great comparison. I feel like the only problem with pranking Yoda...is that he's likely to just prank you right back!

A/N - I'm generally not one that has very creative chapter names, but this one is an exception.

As always, any reviews, favourites, and follows are greatly appreciated.

Anyways, please enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Crouching Nara, Sparring Dragons**

The five Padawans made their way out of the Halls of Healing and towards the section of the Temple that housed the sparring chambers. Nara walked beside him, seeming like she was attempting to use him as a shield between her and the other members of his clan.

On the way to their destination, Doro and Trigg tried to convince Tyra that she should uphold the honor of Dragon clan by sparring with Nara. Tyra seemed uninterested in the idea, to say the least.

Moving past that, Doro and Trigg began to argue in earnest about who had won the right to spar with Nara. Ignoring the argument, Nara leaned over and whispered to him, "Are they always like this?"

"Pretty much," he replied. "Now you know why I'm so quiet. It was always hard to get a word in edgewise."

Nara snorted in amusement, pushing open the door to an empty sparring chamber. Doro and Trigg continued to be absorbed by their argument, so Nara decided that she'd go and warm up. The Togruta was not exactly well built, but as she went through a slate of aerobic exercises, Sascha saw that she was quite quick and flexible.

Finally, Tyra got fed up with the two Corelians arguing, and marched over to the two of them in her usual intense manner. "Trigg gets to spar with Nara. Doro, you still owe Trigg for helping you out with Master Boltic's wilderness survival class."

Doro paused, reflective, "That's right. I forgot about that one." The taller Corelian bowed politely to Trigg, "You may have the privilege of defending the honor of Dragon clan."

Trigg smiled broadly, "I'll avenge your defeat, Sascha."

"For the last time, I don't need to be avenged," he said wearily.

"It's okay, Sascha," called the Togruta, who ended her warmup with a standing backflip, "Your friend is welcome to _try_ and beat me."

"Fine, enough talk, Nara, let me show you how we do it in Dragon clan," said Trigg as he ignited his blue bladed lightsaber and stepped forward, rolling up the sleeves on his robe.

Nara showed Trigg a predatory grin and ignited her own blue blade, then she looked at Trigg's bare arms and barked a laugh, "I didn't think I'd be fighting a Wookiee. I didn't think humans were supposed to have that much _fur_ on their arm."

Trigg definitely had more hair on his arm than was normal for a human his age and Sascha knew that it was something of a sore spot for his friend. Trigg stopped in place, looking wounded by the insult. First blood to Nara, Sascha thought behind a smile.

Tyra chimed in, "I don't know…Wookiees are tall, I'd say he's more of an Elom."

The other four Padawans laughed at the Corelian Jedi's expense. Trigg shook his head slightly, "You know, I thought you guys were supposed to be on my side!"

He, Tyra and Doro retreated to a corner of the room, giving room for the combatants to maneuver. "We are on the side of humor, my friend," called Sascha. "Now go on and avenge me…if you can."

"If I can…" Trigg grumbled, but he turned to face Nara and got into a basic ready position, "Ready?" he asked.

In response, the Togruta lunged forward, forcing the taller human into a sloppy parry. "It's going to be like that, huh?" Trigg asked the Togruta, launching an attack of his own, which sent Nara backpedaling, her blue blade crackling with each impact.

"Yup, it's like _that_ ," Nara retorted, snapping a lightning fast kick into Trigg's shin, producing a grunt of pain from the human. "I'm going to show you how we fight in Clawmouse clan!" the Togruta proclaimed confidently.

"I'm pretty sure Dragons eat Clawmouses…Clawmice?" mused Doro from the sidelines.

Even thought this was ostensibly a fight over protecting his 'honor,' Trigg and Nara both went through a long practice cadence first, letting themselves get comfortable with sparring each other. Then, at the end of the cadence they started sparring in earnest. The early part of the duel was cautious, as both combatants looked for weaknesses that they could take advantage of.

Each combatant was attempting to settle into a rhythm. Nara's preferred form of lightsaber combat was form four, Ataru, an aggressive, fast-paced style that required quick, acrobatic manoeuvres, and plentiful use of the Force to aid their movement. It was a natural fit for the agile little Togruta who was strong in the Force and adept at using it to propel her at odd angles, giving Trigg a moving target to deal with. Trigg was a proponent of a variant of form five, Djem So, a counterattacking style that relied heavily upon the physical strength of its practitioner. Unlike the classical form of lightsaber combat that Sascha favoured, Soresu, which eschewed almost all counterattacks in favour of maintaining a strong defence, Djem So encouraged its practitioners to counterattack at any opportunity with powerful, almost brutish attacks. Djem So was a good fit for Trigg as well, though he was not tall, he was powerfully built, and when his lightsaber clashed with Nara's he could push the Togruta around with his attacks.

Trigg pressed an opening, forcing the Togruta back with clubbing, overhand strikes, which put Nara into an unnaturally passive position, as she was unable to counter Trigg's combination of speed and power. To get back on level footing, she back flipped away from Trigg, a move she often used when she got in trouble, as Sascha knew from experience. Trigg had the answer for that move though, leaping after her in a Force-powered movement that brought the two combatants together again. Nara shoved him away with a small Force-push and then lashed out with a quick kick that caught Trigg on the hip. Trigg acknowledged the skillful move from his opponent with a smile and a nod before resuming the attack.

"The footwork in this sparring match is going to give me an aneurysm," commented Doro from beside him, sounding almost physically in pain.

"I agree," said Tyra. "Nara is fast…but she's sloppy, and Trigg is…well, Trigg, he moves like a drunken Wampa. Nara will learn that you can only cover so many flaws with speed, and I think Trigg will show her that," she concluded confidently.

"Give her time, she's only been a Padawan for a couple of months like me, you guys have been Padawans for almost two years, you've had lots of time to work on technique," he said, rising to the defence of his friend.

"Sounds like someone has a soft spot for the little Togruta," said Doro playfully.

Sascha rolled his eyes, not bothering to dignify that remark with a response and returned his attention back to the match.

The duel had progressed into a tempo that was beginning to favour the human over the Togruta. Quite simply, Trigg was too strong for Nara. The Corelian would simply wait until Nara made a mistake on one of her attacks and then he would press a furious counterattack that would leave the Togruta on the back-foot. Each time he counterattacked he'd gain a small victory, whether it be an advantage of positioning or an opening to land a quick kick to Nara's legs.

Now, Trigg held his lightsaber above his head and dared the Togruta to attack. When the Togruta didn't take the obvious bait he smiled patronizingly at his opponent, "You are fast, little one, but I'm fast enough to match you and I'm much stronger than you are." Nara, refusing to respond, feinted a high slash and then cut low towards Trigg's legs. In response the human whirled acrobatically out of the way of her blade and hit the Togruta with a glancing kick that caught Nara on the right arm, "…and better looking too," Trigg finished, an easy smile on his face.

Nara was not a Jedi that could be easily deterred, even when losing, but it seemed to Sascha that she was running out of ideas of how to defeat Trigg. Trying a tactic that had worked against Sascha in the apprentice tournament, she pressed an attack but during one of her thrusts she turned off her lightsaber, hoping to reignite it after it passed Trigg's guard. However, as soon as Trigg noticed the tactic, he slammed Nara with a hard kick to her midsection, causing the Togruta to retreat as she assessed the damage the kick had done to her. "Sorry," said Trigg apologetically, "I've seen that trick enough times in my life, thanks to Sascha, that I know the counter, it's hitting the Jedi when they don't have their lightsaber ignited."

"Thanks for the tip," replied a defeated looking Togruta. Sascha almost thought that he should call an end to this sparring contest, it was clear at this point that Trigg was going to win. However, he kept his peace, sparring practice was not about winning or losing, but about learning, and Nara was certainly learning right now. Plus, Nara was a Padawan like him, she could make her own decisions.

As Trigg went on the offensive, Nara looked for some space to use so that she could use her acrobatic prowess, but the Corelian was intent on giving Nara no time to breathe, no time to think, and no room to move around in. Nara tried another Force push, but Trigg read the Togruta correctly and countered it well, being barely pushed back at all.

The end was coming soon for Nara, but the proud little predator from Shili was nothing if not tenacious and she was going to make Trigg earn his victory. Trigg proved to be relentless, pressing his advantage with his strength, Nara's reed-like arms were simply not able to deal with the powerful blows of the much heavier set human. Nara was trying to slow Trigg down by landing little kicks to the Corelian's legs, but he was shrugging them off as he continued his attack.

Finally, pummelling down with hammer blows on the beleaguered Togruta, Trigg eventually managed to batter away Nara's lightsaber for a split second, which allowed him to pivot and fire an elbow directly into Nara's face. Showing remarkable control, he stopped his forward momentum right as his elbow would have smacked Nara directly on her cheekbone, instead his elbow merely pressed against Nara's cheek, indenting it slightly.

Nara's fierce blue eyes dimmed for a split-second, and she disengaged her lightsaber. Nara bowed slightly, "Solah. I surrender. Well fought, Trigg," she said politely.

Trigg smiled magnanimously, "You fought well as well, Padawan Nalto."

"Can we go through that last sequence again?" asked Nara. "I want to try something."

Trigg seemed taken aback, "Try what? If I actually follow through with my elbow instead of stopping it, I could really hurt you. I can't just stop mid sequence."

Nara shrugged indifferently, "Okay, then hit me."

Trigg gave Nara an incredulous look "Hit you? Do you want me to send you to the Halls of Healing? Because I'm not okay with doing that."

Nara rolled her eyes, "No, laser brains, don't hit me with your full strength, I mean you can hit me with enough force so that it hurts me, but doesn't cause anything more than a bruise. I think I had some counter play to that elbow strike and I want to see if I was right."

Trigg looked more than slightly uncomfortable and he glanced back towards the other members of Dragon clan, "She's letting me hit her, you are all witnesses."

"Yes, we can all see that Nara is clearly crazy," remarked Tyra, shooting him a significant glance.

Doro silenced Tyra with a glare, "No, Nara's right, she has some counter play to your move Trigg, if, as you said, you don't knock her silly with your elbow, it's worth going through. Might as well see what could happen."

Sascha was equally confused as Trigg. Was Nara simply trying to prove that she was tough? Subtly, he tried to get Nara's attention, but the Togruta ignored him. Oh well.

He watched as Nara and Trigg reset to a position that they had been in a few seconds before the Corelian had swept Nara's defences aside. Replicating what had happened previously, Trigg started with the overhead blows, pushing Nara's defences to the brink, and as before the Togruta's blade was knocked away enough for Trigg to land an elbow. This time Trigg only slowed his arm down slightly, so that his elbow landed with an audible crack to Nara's cheek, but Nara held her ground and swept at the Corelian's legs with her pulsating blue blade. Trigg had obviously over committed, as he only managed a wild parry that Nara easily swept away and she quickly flashed her blue across Trigg's knee, burning him with her low-powered saber.

Nara immediately spun away and shouted, "That _kriffing_ hurt," as she dropped to her knees and started massaging where Trigg's elbow had made contact with her jaw.

Trigg for his part was bent over, rubbing his knee where Nara's blade had made contact, "I still say I already won, I really would have hurt her with that elbow."

"No, you won," Nara agreed easily, "Thanks for letting me try out that last sequence."

Trigg shrugged, "It's not every day I get to slug a cute Padawan in the face with their permission," he replied drolly.

"It's too bad because Nara had actually won," said Doro as he rose from his seated position on the sidelines, "If she had only been able to see the openings you were giving her." He and Tyra rose to follow Doro, and the five Padawans grouped in a loose circle. Sascha caught Nara's eye and gave her a little smile, which Nara returned.

Trigg growled, sweating from his sparring session, "That's part of my strategy and you know it Doro, don't give the opposition time to think and they can't _find_ the openings."

"So we should just forget they exist?" Doro countered.

Sascha smiled, Doro had always possessed an ability to breakdown flaws in someone's combat technique. It didn't matter if it was hand-to-hand combat or lightsaber sparring, Doro seemed to have an innate understanding of the intricacies of combat. It was a good thing too, as Doro had not been blessed with strength, like Trigg, or speed, like Tyra or himself. Instead, he succeeded in combat for two reasons. The first was that he was precise, every strike landed exactly where he wanted it to. The second was that he had the best footwork of any Padawan he had ever seen, Doro had a grace that made him seem like he was gliding on air when he fought. It had made him a natural fit for form two of lightsaber combat, Makashi, an elegant style that relied on precision and footwork.

"Come on Trigg, listen to Doro, you know how good he is," said Tyra.

Trigg growled again but relented. "Go through that last sequence again, please," said Doro patiently.

"But that's where he won," protested Nara.

"Only because you didn't know any better, my little Togruta," said Doro.

"I'm not your little Togruta," glowered Nara, who still seemed to be shaking off effects of the elbow that she received from Trigg.

Doro seemed to physically deflate, "I'm trying to help everyone…but if you don't want it…"

Sighing, Trigg and Nara took up their positions again, as he and Tyra moved back to allow the two Jedi some space. "Okay," said Doro, "Give me quarter speed of that last part." Nara and Trigg obliged, moving ponderously through their last sequence, Nara moved backwards as Trigg pressed her with overhead slashes.

Doro shook his head, as if to clear his mind of a pounding headache, "Stop." Both combatants froze in place. "Tyra," called Doro.

Tyra moved over to Nara's side and slapped the Togruta's left hip.

Still remaining frozen in place, Nara spoke, "Will someone please explain why Tyra just hit me?"

"Because the last time I slapped a female Padawan like that, I ended up on the ground with a bloody nose," said Doro mournfully.

Nara laughed, "Who would hit you when you're just trying to help out?" asked the Togruta

"Oh, some thoughtless young woman, who surely has apologized many times for her behaviour," said Doro, shooting a significant glance at Tyra.

Tyra's cheeks reddened, "I did say sorry, you know."

Sascha remembered that moment well, one moment Doro was helping Tyra through a lightsaber cadence, using his hands carefully to guide her, the next moment Doro was laying on his back holding his nose. No one took physical liberties with Tyra Harker, even mild, well meaning ones.

Doro smirked at Tyra snootily, and then returned his attention to the Togruta, "Nara, why are you pivoting your hip like that?"

"Why? Because I'm trying to move away from his power, otherwise I'm going to end up impaling myself with my own lightsaber," replied Nara testily.

"Such level one thinking," replied Doro mockingly, "He's strong so I have to respond to his strength."

"I suppose _you_ have a better idea," said Nara acidly, the stripes on her head-tails flaring brightly.

"He usually does Nara, be patient," Sascha said, trying to mollify the volatile Togruta. Nara caught his eye and relaxed slightly.

"At least someone respects me," grumbled Doro. "Anyway Nara, you shouldn't be moving away from his strike, you should be moving _into_ it."

Nara's blue eyes widened and she looked to him for support, "Please tell me that this is some sort of elaborate prank or bizarre initiation into Dragon clan, because he cannot be serious."

Doro sighed wearily, "Do you see the opening Tyra?"

Tyra evaluated the position of the frozen Padawans for a moment, "I think so, let me try." Tyra tapped Nara on the shoulder and took over the position of the Togruta. Once she was in position, Trigg obliged with a full speed repeat of his attacks. Tyra managed to fight back to an even position against Trigg, but after she did she shook her head and disengaged her lightsaber, "I guess I didn't see the opening,"

"That is because there isn't one," claimed Trigg, "Doro just can't see the brilliance of my technique," said the Corelian, flourishing his lightsaber dramatically.

Doro glared daggers at his fellow Corelian, "That will be the day. Anyway, if you could reset back to that position, I'll guide Nara through the opening, as long as she promises not to slug me when I touch her."

Nara seemed uncertain, but relented, "If you take any liberties with me I'll send you to the bed next to Sascha's Master in the Halls of Healing."

"Such a lovely young Padawan you've introduced us to, Sascha," drawled Doro. Yet, Nara and Trigg once again reset to their previous position. Moving at a glacial pace, Doro put his hands on Nara and guided her into Trigg's overhead blow, instead of away from it, he turned her hip inward and used that movement to pivot her inside of the Corelian's suddenly open defence.

Nara's eyes brightened excitedly as she saw her opening and turned to Doro, "How did you see that?"

"I'm a genius," Doro said, preening himself slightly. He then straightened to his full height and moved away, "Okay, now go full speed."

"I don't see this ending well for me," mumbled Trigg. The Jedi reset back to the now familiar position. Now moving at full speed, Nara, instead of being beat down by Trigg, pivoted inside his overhead strike and flashed her blade quickly across his chest, giving Trigg another burn. Trigg swore loudly in a language Sascha didn't recognize, he was lucky that no Master was watching this impromptu session, swearing was generally frowned upon in the Jedi Order. Not that it stopped anyone of course.

The Togruta looked rather pleased with herself and thanked Doro for his help. Doro smiled magnanimously, "Always fight to your strengths Nara, Trigg thinks he's a Wookiee so he tries to fight like one, and it generally works for him. You are quick, and small, and they both can be advantages if you use them, but you let Trigg fight his style, that's why you lost," Doro shrugged laconically, "That and you are built like a twig, it makes it easy for Wookiees like Trigg to push you around."

"Size matters not," said Nara hotly, quoting one of Master Yoda's maxims.

"Size…no," said Doro, "Strength does."

"Tyra has a similar build to me, and Sascha isn't exactly a muscle-bound Jedi either, I don't see you critiquing them," Nara pointed out.

Doro sighed despairingly as if indulging a particularly slow student, "Show them."

Tyra withdrew her lightsaber and ignited it. Trigg threw a massive overhead slash that collided with Tyra's blue blade. Her lightsaber didn't even move an inch from the mighty blow. Sascha held his palm up, indicating for Tyra to hand him her lightsaber, "You haven't fixed yours yet?" she said incredulously.

"I'll get around to it," he said, slightly embarrassed.

Tyra handed him her lightsaber and he adopted a similar position, and Trigg again slashed downwards. Even with his arm weakened, he absorbed the powerful slash with his solid positioning and his blade did not move from its position. Sascha handed back the lightsaber to its rightful owner, then Nara prepared herself to receive an overhead slash. Trigg slashed downwards again, but this time when it connected to Nara's blue blade, Nara's blade clearly gave way, moving it slightly out of position.

Nara's mouth twitched, "I guess I was wrong, I'm not strong enough."

"It's strength and technique," he pointed out, "I'm not particularly strong, especially with my arm recovering, but because my technique is solid I could hold my blade in place. Here let me show you," he said, placing his hands lightly on the Togruta. Patiently, he guided her so that her shoulders, hips and feet in were in the proper position. When he was done, he appraised her, "This is your position of strength, from this position; you should be able to repel most attacks that rely on brute force with ease. From this position, you can even fend off a Wookiee."

"No more for me today, I think I'm a charred Wookiee at this point," commented Trigg in good humor.

Nara looked around at the assembled Padawans, "I guess while you guys are demolishing my lightsaber skills, I might as well ask if you have any more advice."

Three members of Dragon clan looked at Doro, "What? Am I the only one who can offer advice?" said Doro. When the four other Padawans continued to stare at him, he relented and said, "You fight like you have two left feet Nara, you are very fast, but your speed has been a crutch for you, now you need solid footwork to back up your speed."

Nara looked downward,"I know. Master Tiplee has been trying to work on it, but we've been busy with missions."

Tyra slung an arm around Nara's shoulders and the tired Togruta leaned into her gratefully, "Don't worry, stick with us and we'll have your footwork fixed up in no time flat."

"So am I an honorary member of Dragon clan yet?" asked Nara hopefully.

"Well, there might be one last thing," mused Tyra. As Nara turned to face her, Tyra flipped Nara softly onto her back.

The other four Padawans looked down at the surprised Togruta and said, "Welcome to Dragon clan."


	5. Chapter 4: A Master's Thoughts

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** I could write for hours about the daily lives of young Jedi in the Temple. I feel like it would be a lot of fun. If you can't tell already, I really enjoy writing Tyra. Sascha _should_ get around to fixing his lightsaber, and you best believe that is something we are going to follow up on (seriously, who walks around with a non-functional lightsaber?)

 **Sirion Lanor -** Haha, well I'm posting this chapter a bit earlier so you don't have to wait. Gotta feed that addiction. All I can say about your theory is that you are partially right (and partially wrong).

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** Yeah, there is a certain level of 'Oh wait these characters are all doomed,' that pervades this fic. If I wanted a happy ending I could have set this fic 100 years earlier and these characters could have happy endings, but nah, they are all Vader meat. I always feel like there is such a fine line in fight scenes between providing too much detail and not enough detail. So what I generally do is start off with something general like 'Nara is losing because she isn't strong, and then maybe show a specific detail or two, before going back to something more general. And I always make a fight scene about something. Like in the last chapter it was really a bonding experience than a fight, but other fights will be about 'can person x overcome person y's great defences or something like that

 **7doom-** Thanks! I tried to get a bit more detailed in this scene then usual, and I think it played out pretty nicely. I originally planned to do more sparring chapters, but it was repetitive - if you can do something in one chapter, you should probably do it.

A/N - So, when I first wrote this chapter I remember thinking that it was one of my better chapters, but looking back now, I think its kind of a nothing chapter. You'll get to see Aurine's thoughts about how things are progressing, but while that is nice, I'm not sure enough happens to make it a worthwhile inclusion. It feels like a chapter that this story could survive without. Let me know if you agree! Anyway a much more fun/interesting chapter is coming on Sunday.

After that resounding endorsement, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: A Master's Thoughts**

Aurine Brynar suppressed a smile as she watched Sascha banter with his friends. Sascha had apparently assumed that she was still asleep and he had been too distracted to notice that she had awoken when his two Corelian friends had barged in. She had not wanted to intrude on the joyful reunion so she kept her peace and merely watched in silence as Sascha and his clanmates laughed and made their way out of the Halls of Healing. She was also pleased to see that he had included Nara into that little reunion. While Sascha was a gentle soul, it would have been easy for him to have sent the Togruta away. Yet, he had done the right thing. Nara needed a friend, that much was clear, and she was glad that she had found a good one in her apprentice.

She settled back into her bed, getting comfortable. One of the problems she had found during her recovery was that while her mind was functioning at close to peak performance, he body was doing anything but that. It meant that she had all her mental faculties available to her, but a body that could do very little. So, she discovered that she had a lot of time to think. But she was _bored_ of thinking if that was at all possible. Bored of the holobooks that Sascha had recommended to her, bored of reading reports, bored of just laying in this bed.

But her Master once said that a quiet moment was often a blessing from the Force. And she had learned to value her Master's teachings, though she wondered if Sascha was learning to value _her_ teachings...

Aurine had once wondered why anyone would want to take on the responsibility of a Padawan. She had thought that a Padawan was little more than a half-trained Jedi that needed far too much guidance to ever be useful on a mission.

She now admitted to herself that she'd let her thoughts about taking on a Padawan be coloured by her own experience as a Padawan, where it had taken years for her Master, the Zelton Jedi Master Nova Trynith, to teach her how to truly be a Jedi. She had started her apprenticeship as one person, and ended her apprenticeship as someone completely different. Quite frankly, she was embarrassed by the person that she had been.

Still, she had figured that the best way to repay the faith that had been placed in her, was to put her head down and accept any mission that was offered to her. And that was what she had done for three wonderful years. She had established herself as a reliable Jedi Knight that would take on any challenge. There were successes and failures, but far more of the former then the latter. It seemed like everything had been falling place for her. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy with herself and her life.

It had been mostly coincidence that she ever met Sascha, she'd been on a mission to Duro during the apprentice tournament, which hadn't bothered her in the slightest, even though Jedi were encouraged to watch the tournament. In her mind, she had worked hard to become a Jedi Knight and finally be able to take solo missions, she wasn't going to be tied down teaching some youngling how to use the Force. She thought that she might eventually take a Padawan later in her career, maybe in her forties or fifties, when she had some actual wisdom to share with her apprentice. Now, at the ripe old age of twenty-six and only three years after becoming a Jedi Knight, she had taken on Sascha as her Padawan, and she could not be happier with her decision.

She remembered hearing the name Sascha Whitestar for the first time. There had been rumors flying around the Temple about how Luminara Unduli had met a young Jedi Initiate that had impressed her, and she had been worried that he would leave the Temple without being chosen as a Padawan. Intrigued by anyone that could impress her best friend, she decided that she would meet this Initiate in person.

So she had casually sauntered down to his room, more curious than anything. When she'd entered his room, she'd almost laughed, Sascha was a short, skinny little teenager, who was so bland looking that anyone who stopped to look at him would surely forget his face seconds later. She also could also tell that he was not particularly strong in the Force either, certainly well below her own very average Force talent. He'd been perfectly calm and polite in introducing himself and she thought that was maybe why Luminara had taking a liking to him.

Aurine had asked to see his matches from the tournament and she hadn't been particularly impressed by his technique in those matches, which had been a further strike against him in her mind. She did note that he fought intelligently, defeating his first opponent when he realized that he was much quicker, and pushing his second round opponent, Nara Nalto, to a fifth and deciding point despite being outclassed. But the simple truth was that Sascha was not very skilled in combat. He was okay at out thinking his opponents, but his skills were poor for an Initiate of his age.

He was a nice young man, Aurine would admit, perfectly calm and balanced in the Force, and with the right Master could become a decent Jedi Knight but he certainly wasn't impressive enough for her to take him as her Padawan. She'd thanked him for his time and made her way back to her room to file her report on her mission to Duro, sure that meeting Sascha had been nothing more than a short diversion.

Yet as she tried to write up her report, she found that she couldn't focus on her assignment. She tried meditating to purge her emotions, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Sascha. It had annoyed her, she generally had very little trouble focusing herself on tasks, but no matter what she did, the little bland looking Initiate just kept forcing his way to the front of her mind. Frustrated, she had gone to sleep, assuming that she just felt bad for a young man who would be giving up the Order that he clearly held dear.

Her sleep had been interrupted by a vision from the Force, which showed her together with an older Sascha, eyes dancing with intelligence and admiration of her. The bond that she felt in the vision was like nothing she had ever felt before, there was such a deep respect between the two of them, it was like looking at a picture of a perfect Master and Padawan partnership. That vision had shaken her certainty that Sascha was nothing more than just another Initiate.

Aurine had never put that much faith in the Force, sure she let it guide her actions like any Jedi, but only in the heat of the moment. She wasn't ready to let it tell her to take an apprentice, starting a relationship that would last around ten years, just based on one vision. However, neither could she ignore such an obvious signal either.

So, she forced herself to take another look at Sascha Whitestar. On second glance, everything about Sascha seemed different. Aurine realized that while he was bland looking, he had remarkable eyes that showed intelligence and compassion. And he may have been short, but he a sort of wiry strength and athleticism that spoke to his character. She watched his matches in the apprentice tournament again and this time saw something different, yes, he lost against Nara. Yes, he was clumsy, but he fought like his life was on the line with every stroke, parry and thrust, his determination was obvious. He fought with every ounce of himself, and Aurine deduced, if someone could give him the right skills he could become a capable Jedi.

She pulled up his file, and noted the glowing remarks from his teachers, and his almost impossibly high grades in his academic courses. His marks were not quite so high when it came to using the Force, but they were higher than she expected they would be. A special note had been added, stating that he was an exceptional piloting talent for an Initiate.

Aurine began to have a much different perspective on Sascha. Sascha Whitestar was not some sort of cast-off, he was merely a diamond in the rough, waiting to find a Jedi Knight who was able to look past his obvious flaws and see his hidden potential, and she was going to be that Jedi Knight. She marched down to his room again and offered to take him as her Padawan learner. When he accepted a day later, she'd been thrilled.

They had struck up a quick and easy friendship; he fit in perfectly with her, as if he had known her for years. Sascha had a sarcastic sense of humor that she had come to appreciate, but what she appreciated most was how flexible he was. In front of other Jedi, he was the quintessentially perfect Padawan, quiet, and modest, but when they were alone he was much more relaxed and carefree, always respectful of her of course, but not robotic, always alive. He was always respectful of her as well, when she had to reprimand him, which was rare, he took his punishment and learned from his mistake.

He would surprise her in new and interesting ways every day. She'd secretly been pleased by Sascha's choice of a Padawan braid – he tied two ribbons into his dark brown hair, one teal ribbon for him, and an emerald one for her, together they were entwined in his braid, symbolizing their bond. For a decidedly unflashy and demure person, seeing him put two brightly coloured ribbons into his hair was quite a fashion statement. But to her it spoke of his commitment to her and his apprenticeship.

It had not always gone perfectly though. In the early days of his apprenticeship, she had been trying to teach him what she considered a pretty basic task, just fifty repetitions of Soresu form, level one, a simple kata that Aurine could probably have done in her sleep as his age. But Sascha had struggled mightily with the task. His first few repetitions of the kata would be fine, if she was being charitable, but by the twentieth or thirty-fifth repetition his form fell apart so badly it was an insult to the thousands of years of tradition that went into such training exercises.

She'd shown him the mistakes that he was making, demonstrated how to do it herself, but he had still failed at his task. Aurine had shaken her head in frustration, wondering why she had ever taken on such a hopeless apprentice and called an end to training, leaving the despondent looking Padawan alone in the training room. Admittedly, it wasn't the most polite thing she had ever done, but it was better to have done that then say what she was really thinking.

She had been at a loss as to how to teach her new charge, so she sent a message to her old Master, and asked for help. When she described her problem, her Master had responded simply, with the cutting logic that she had so hated when she had been her apprentice but had now come to respect and cherish, "You must see him for the Padawan that he is, not for the Padawan you want him to be." Aurine had found many simple truths in that short phrase, and she had shifted her way of teaching Sascha. It hadn't helped her in this particular instance though…

The next day, when they met for breakfast, Sascha came in looking as if he hadn't slept the night before and as weary as she'd ever seen him. After they finished their meal, he had given her a datapad with a recording of him completing fifty repetitions of Soresu form, level one, _and_ fifty repetitions of level two, they hadn't been perfect, but they were good, certainly she would have given him a passing grade. Sascha admitted to her that he hated seeing her look of disappointment and told himself that he wouldn't sleep until he could make her proud of him. Aurine had never felt such pride in her life, but she simply said to him, "Go get some sleep, Padawan," and he just smiled modestly and left, his contentment perfectly clear through the Force.

Sometimes, a teacher was only as good as her student.

There was more things she liked about Sascha. She liked how he was fiercely loyal to her; Luminara had told her that since arriving on Coruscant from Kuat that he had refused to leave her bedside. She liked how he would bring her breakfast from the refectory every day and eat with her, she knew that he would be perfectly content to sit beside her throughout her recovery. She wouldn't let him, of course, but it was nice to know that his first thought every morning as on the health of his Master.

He still had rough edges, of course. He was one of the most emotional Jedi that Aurine had known, which was both a strength and a weakness. It made him very sensitive to the emotions of others, which was a good trait for a Jedi to have, but Aurine was waiting for the day that these emotions would lead Sascha astray. She was waiting for a teachable moment to show him that being too emotional made for poor decisions. In his defence, Sascha seemed to have a never-ending reserve of calm that he could tap into at any time, so if he found himself getting too emotional, he could reset himself back to a calm state easily enough. Still, he was walking a fine line at times.

His relationship with Tyra Harker was another potential sticking point. Anyone with eyes and a functioning central cortex could see the bond that existed between the two Padawans. She had asked Sascha early on about his relationship with Tyra and he described in great detail how his relationship had evolved from a supportive friendship, to how he'd developed feelings for her and how they'd dealt with that, redefining their relationship as quasi-siblings. While he swore up and down that they were nothing more than close friends, it was clear to Aurine that the potential for attachment still existed. A stricter Master would have insisted that he stop his friendship with her, but Aurine knew that to ask Sascha to do that would be like asking him to cut off his arm.

Her Padawan needed his friends, and Tyra was first and foremost amongst them, and if things ever did drift towards attachment…well, he was a Padawan and Padawans were allowed slight indiscretions here and there. Sascha and Tyra were too smart, they would eventually realize that they could be friends and no more than that. It was a lesson that many other Jedi learned the hard way. But sometimes, making a mistake was the only way to learn. Aurine herself had made such a mistake at a similar age, and she remembered that lesson well.

She didn't worry as much for Sascha, he seemed to be at peace with Tyra being his 'sister' but she had watched the footage of Tyra and Sascha's last stand on Kuat. They had fought brilliantly of course, fighting in complete unison with their emotional bond each giving the other strength, the perfect example of how relationships can strengthen a Jedi. But, just as how they exemplified the good, there was also evidence of the bad side of relationships. After Sascha had been injured and fallen unconscious, Aurine had seen Tyra gradually fall apart emotionally. Tyra's own report had dispassionately stated that she had fallen to the dark side, if only briefly and it did not take a Jedi to figure out that she had fallen because she had wanted to protect her dear friend. In the last moments, Tyra had been completely exhausted, and certain of her own death, she had gone to Sascha, cradled him in her lap and brushed his hair lightly, an intimate and heartbreaking gesture. Aurine knew that Sascha and Tyra were, generally speaking, pushing the limits of a proper Jedi friendship.

As far as Aurine knew, Sascha didn't know that Tyra had fallen to the dark on his behalf, but that was not a conversation that she was going to have with her Padawan. The relationship between Tyra and Sascha was concerning, and something she was keeping an eye on, but would not interfere with. Tyra and Sascha needed to discuss the limits of their friendship on their own. If Aurine and Tyra's Master tried to push the two Padawans towards a conversation, they would likely resent it. Yet, if they were left to figure it out together, they most likely would. Aurine trusted Sascha and had a healthy respect for Tyra, she knew that those two would work it out on their own timetable.

She shrugged to herself, if these were the only problems that Sascha had, she'd consider herself rather lucky. Sascha was born to be a Jedi, she was sure, and he in many ways was the complete opposite of what she had been at his age.

She knew that many Masters considered their Padawans to almost be their children, but Aurine would never see Sascha as her child. For one, he was far too old to be a child of hers, she was only around ten years his senior, to her mind it made him more like a younger brother. She would be his older sister, protecting him from harm, providing wisdom and guiding him on his path. But, like a sibling, Sascha would also teach her, make her see herself differently, protect her when she needed help and provide nuggets of wisdom along the way.

She was going to enjoy raising Sascha to adulthood, to the rank of Jedi Knight. She could already see that the saddest and proudest day of her life would be the day that Sascha ascended to the rank of Jedi Knight and he would no longer be her Padawan. However, she reminded herself wryly, to get to that point, his Master had to get out of bed. She smiled and turned her focus inward, focusing deeply on repairing her body.


	6. Chapter 5: Siblings

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** I like writing Aurine, and she is a fun character to explore, but we are going to get a lot of Sascha and Aurine time in this book, so it feels like I could have done a better job at taking this chapter and dividing it into some other ones. Oh well. As long as you enjoyed it!

 **Sirion Lanor -** Glad to know you liked the Aurine chapter, and I think it was a good idea to show her perspective. I just think from a pacing standpoint, it would have been better to propel the plot forward a little.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** Aurine certainly is the right Master for Sascha. I love exploring their relationship because both of them teach each other, even though one of them is the 'student.'

 **Thejoker122-** Eh, we have _lots_ of time before Sascha becomes a Knight. Sascha, though very mature, still has a lot of growing up to do.

 **Gabonator -** Thanks for the review! I'm glad you caught up through book one, it is a big read! You aren't the first person to comment on pacing - I think it is something I picked up from just reading a whole lot when I was young. Sascha is a different sort of Jedi hero. He's not the chosen one. Not even close. But there is certainly room in the Star Wars universe for some stories about mediocre Jedi, and I'm glad people are enjoying it.

A/N -

I know people are ready for the plot to kick into high gear, but I'm having fun writing about the world of the Jedi Temple. So we get more backstory and character development, but this chapter is a fun one - I certainly enjoyed writing it. Thanks to the guest that commented a while back about wanting to see a prank...your wish comes true in this chapter.

As always, please enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Siblings**

After their sparring session was complete, the Dragons had lunch with their new honorary member, trading barbs and jokes like they usually did over meals. Doro and Trigg took the opportunity to tell Nara about their hijinx as younglings and young Padawans. The Togruta sat in rapt attention, listening to the two Corelians tell story after story of their successful pranks. Yet the pranks had not always been successful. One of their failures had always stuck out to him.

He and the rest of Dragon clan had been about ten years old, just getting to the point where they would be allowed to start practising with the training lightsabers in their katas. It was something of a milestone for a young Jedi to be entrusted with a lightsaber, practice weapon or not. Unfortunately for Dragon clan, their combat instructor had been changed from the popular Master Uvali, a old but jovial Sullustian, to the stern Master Galfand. The first thing that Master Galfand had said to the class was that they were so far away from getting to use the practice lightsabers, that it was best not to think about them. That statement had deflated the entire room. Sascha had thought that Master Galfand had just been trying to temper the enthusiasm of his clanmates, but he had been wrong. Master Galfand was an old, irritable Kage, and his lessons were tough ones. Quickly, weapons combat training had gone from one of the favourite classes of Dragon clan, to its most dreaded.

After a few weeks of instruction from the Kage, the two Corelians decided that they would teach Master Galfand a lesson in humility. Sascha had no idea how they did it, but the two Corelians procured a bag of Aldavian beetles. The critters, though mostly harmless, were notable for one thing, that if they bit someone they would cause near uncontrollable itching for a few hours. Doro and Trigg had raced to the classroom to get there early and released the bag of beetles onto Master Galfand's chair. Then they had sat in their seats and waited for their prank to play out.

Yet, instead of the strict and unforgiving Master Galfand entering the classroom, Master Yoda had walked in, proclaiming that today would be the first day that they would be training with the practice lightsabers. Mortified that their prank was now about to go horribly wrong, Doro and Trigg had scrambled to the front of the room, warning Yoda about the Aldavian beetles that had recently been placed on the chair.

Yoda had grinned wryly, "Left a present for Master Yoda, have you, hmm?"

Doro and Trigg had stammered, for once being at a loss for words. But Yoda had gone over to the chair, grabbed one of the beetles and proclaimed "My favourite snack!" Yoda turned to the Corelians, "For me are they?"

The two Corelians grinned nervously, and sheepishly admitted that they weren't for him.

"No? Intended for whom, I wonder?" Yoda asked gently.

Knowing that they had been found out, Doro and Trigg had bowed their heads politely, and admitted that they had been intended for Master Galfand. Yoda's punishment for the attempted prank was a light one. Doro and Trigg had to watch his friends practice with their new training lightsabers for a week before they could use them.

Sascha had always thought that Yoda had let Doro and Trigg down lightly, but the two had responded well to the lesson. While they kept on with their pranks, they evolved them from slightly mean spirited ones, to happier, more amusing ones. The Corelians had also learned to focus their pranks on fellow students and not on teachers.

It had been a quiet point of pride amongst Dragon clan that although they hadn't been the best clan (or anything close to it), they always were the best, and most creative at pulling pranks. While Hawk-bat clan may have won all of the sparring competitions, few would remember those occasions. But _everyone_ remembered when he, Doro and Trigg had arranged for one of the laundry droids to 'accidentally' be reprogrammed and turn Hawk-bat clan's Initiate robes into a lovely shade of bright pink. The members of Hawk-bat clan still hadn't lived that one down.

A quiet but insistent buzzing from Doro and Trigg's comlinks interrupted Sascha's daydreaming. The two Corelians took the call off to the side of the room, and returned to the group a minute later. "Sorry, that was Master Azrah," said Doro. "He wants us both to help do some investigation about who leaked information about our task force."

"So we get to have fun in the archives…yay!" Trigg said sarcastically. Trigg, though he was a reasonably good student, never liked to admit as much.

"Why don't I come along?" said Sascha.

"Sure, research was always your thing, I'm sure our Masters won't mind the extra help," said Trigg.

Nara spoke, clearly sensing that the group was splitting up, "I've got to go too. I'm behind in my coursework and Master Tiplee keeps bugging me about it. Thank you for...all of this."

The Togruta bowed and departed, but she sent Sascha a wave of gratitude in the Force before she left.

The four remaining Padawans left the refectory and went into the main corridors of the Jedi Temple, Sascha was preparing to follow his friends to their Masters when Tyra interrupted, "Sascha, don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Nope, Master Brynar gave me the day off," Sascha said lazily.

Tyra glared at him, "Excuse us for a minute," she said to Doro and Trigg.

"I'll catch up," he said hesitantly as Doro and Trigg made their way towards the Temple Archives.

When Doro and Trigg were out of earshot, he spoke, "What's up Tyra?"

Tyra scowled at him, "You need to go repair your lightsaber, Sascha."

He shrugged, "Yeah, eventually, I haven't needed to fix it yet, maybe I'll go get it fixed after I help out Doro and Trigg." He smiled at her, "You know how useless they are in the Archives, they'll probably get lost."

Sascha started walking towards the Archives himself, until he was stopped by Tyra, who shoved him in the chest, hard. Off-balance, he careened into a nearby pillar, and had to use both hands to stop himself from hitting head first. "I didn't almost die for you on Kuat so you could come back to the Temple and wander around the Temple with a broken lightsaber!" shouted Tyra.

Sascha blinked, trying to decode what had just happened. Had Tyra really just pushed him into a wall and yelled at him? What the hell? "It's just a lightsaber, Tyra. And I'm not even healed enough to practice with it! You're right I should get it fixed, but it's hardly worth shoving me into a wall."

Tyra stabbed at him with her index finger, "No, you are fixing it now, and I'll drag you down to see Huyin myself if I have to!"

Sascha felt a flash of anger, and almost said something he would have regretted, but he took a deep calming breath and continued more reasonably, "Tyra…what's up, what is this really about? Why didn't you come and see me when I was recovering? I would have liked to see my best friend at least once."

Tyra looked down, ashamed, her anger dissipating all at once, "It's nothing, Sascha, don't worry about me."

"I usually don't Tyra, but you just shoved me into a wall and yelled at me in the middle of the Temple, I'm going to worry about what caused you to do that." He reached out and grabbed Tyra's arms lightly, "Come on Tyra, let's go and talk about this."

Tyra pulled away from him, "Some things aren't meant to be shared, Sascha."

He looked at her incredulously, "What the hell are you talking about, Tyra! What happened to you on Kuat?"

Tyra gave Sascha a sad look, "Nothing good." She clearly steeled herself, "Look, it was hard to watch you almost die in my arms…you mean too much to me, Sascha…I still haven't recovered from that experience yet. I said we'd talk about it when I was ready…but I'm still not ready." Tyra looked at him beseechingly, "I'm asking you to trust me with this."

"I trust you completely Tyra, I always have, I always will," said Sascha honestly, "Just don't lock me out, Tyra…you are too important to me. You are still my best friend."

"I won't," Tyra promised. She looked down the hallway, "I think you can still catch up to Doro and Trigg if you hurry."

He waved her suggestion away lightly, "Nah, I'll go get my lightsaber fixed."

"After all that?"

"If it's important to you, it's important to me," he said gently.

Tyra gave him a small, thankful smile as she walked away.

Sascha waited until she was gone and then leaned against the wall, wondering what in the Force had just come over his best friend and why she had changed so much since Kuat.

As Sascha made his way down to the lightsaber repair room, he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and looked at it. His lightsaber was a simple design with no adornments. Yet, he treasured the hilt of his silver-gray lightsaber tremendously.

Some Padawans constructed a lightsaber upon reaching their new rank, traditionally this new lightsaber would be heavily influenced by the design of their Master's lightsaber. Sascha had never really seen the need to do so. A lightsaber was the most personal of a Jedi's possessions, some said it was a Jedi's only true ally, and there were no rules set upon their construction. He was certainly skilled and knowledgeable enough to have built one of his own design, but he liked the way this one felt in his hand, the way the grooves of the handle had been slightly indented over years of use. But most importantly, he didn't see the need to build another hilt because he felt connected to this one.

He turned his lightsaber over in his hand, revealing the parts that had been damaged by the hit it had taken from a blaster bolt. Yesterday, he had tried to fix his lightsaber himself, but too many wires had been damaged by the shot that it had taken that it was beyond his modest understanding of how to fix his possession. Instead of trying to fix his lightsaber and having something go wrong, he decided that he would take it to an expert.

Sascha came to the lightsaber repair room and sought out Huyin, the 'twin' of the lightsaber architect, Huyang. Huyang served aboard the Jedi Training Crusier _Crucible_ , guiding Initiates on constructing their first lightsaber. While Huyang was a lightsaber architect, Huyin was in charge of repairing any damaged lightsabers. Legend had it that the droids had been built at the same time, several thousand years ago, and that Huyin and Huyang had never actually met each other, though their databases were connected – each of them had a record of every lightsaber ever constructed by a Jedi. Sascha had heard the two droids described as the oldest 'living' members of the Jedi Order, depending on whether one considered a droid to truly be 'alive.'

Sascha wandered around the spacious room, which had simple, well labelled boxes and storage for the various parts that went into constructing a lightsaber. He finally found Huyin behind a repair table, as the droid fiddled with a lightsaber, tinkering with its emitter matrix. Sascha took a good look at the droid, Huyin was a little taller than him, had a spindly build and yellow 'eyes.' The metallic greyish-brown droid turned to him, his optical sensors changing colour, as he spoke, "What can I do for you today…Padawan Whitestar?"

"You know my name?" asked Sascha, surprised. This was the first time they had ever met.

The droid put down the lightsaber it was working on, "I recognize every Jedi by their lightsaber, young one. Though yours looks like it has taken some damage, let me see it."

Sascha handed over his silver-grey cylinder, and the droid examined it in detail, with scanners popping out of its various built-in openings. Sascha felt strangely nervous, he'd been sure that his lightsaber could be easily repaired, but watching the droid pore over it with apparent concern, he began to worry about its state. He really didn't want to build another hilt, he just wanted this one fixed.

"A beautiful model this is, young one," said the droid, "Elegant in its simplicity."

"Can you repair it?"

The droid looked taken aback, "I've been repairing lightsabers for millennia, and have repaired many more damaged than this. Why, one time I repaired a lightsaber that had been swallowed and digested by a Nerubian swap frog. This will be simple in comparison, I assure you. I can have it repaired in an hour."

"That would be fantastic, thank you sir." Sascha considered, "I was thinking about making a modification to my saber, is there a database where I could look up schematics or instructions for making modifications?"

"Of course," the droid pointed a spindly arm at a nearby terminal, "In that terminal has every modification ever made to a lightsaber, given that the Jedi that made that modification bothered to file it with me," said Huyin in a cranky tone. "If you give me the modification number I can install it on your lightsaber as I repair it, as long as the alteration is compatible with your hilt."

He shook his head, "I'd rather do it myself," he said, hoping that he would not offend the droid.

Huyin nodded sharply, "Good, though you will of course give the lightsaber to me before activating it, I don't want this beautiful piece of art being destroyed because you placed a wire wrong."

Sascha agreed that he would, noting with some amusement that the droid didn't seem to care that he could be injured if he tried to activate an improperly constructed lightsaber, Huyin was more concerned over the twenty-one centimeter cylinder than the Jedi that wielded it. Sascha turned to leave, feeling rather naked without the reassuring weight of his lightsaber bouncing against his left hip, when Huyin spoke, "Did my counterpart ever tell you the story of this particular lightsaber?"

He turned back around and shook his head, "As far as I know this is just a generic model, I like it though, it suits me."

"Generic model," the droid scoffed, "It is no coincidence that this particular weapon ended up in the hands of a Jedi born on Sluis Van."

"I'm not sure I understand, sir," he said carefully.

"Did you think that there just happened to be a lightsaber design that fit for each of your clanmates onboard the _Crucible_? That there being a hilt inlaid with a Tion gem for Tyra Harker, or a design made out of metal found near the hometown of Doro Roa was merely a coincidence? No, a great deal of pre-planning goes into the expedition to Illum where Initiates build their first lightsaber." Huyin was pacing now, the servomotors of the droid whirring as he moved, lecturing the young Padawan, who sat in rapt attention. Sascha hadn't known about this, but, looking back, perhaps he should have suspected it.

Huyin continued to pace in front of him, "Before every expedition, each Initiate is analyzed and a design or two are commissioned to meet the needs of each individual Jedi. Commonly, Initiates have connections to their homeworlds or to their favourite teachers at the Temple, some want a design that looks similar to their hero's lightsaber. Some Initiates have sketched designs for how they want their lightsaber to look and our lightsaber artisans take all of these factors into account to create a hilt that is designed for each Initiate. We have gotten quite good at selecting at knowing what Initiates will want their first lightsaber to look like over the years, ninety-nine percent of Initiates chose designs that have been pre-selected for them." The droid shrugged his shoulders, "There are also several generic designs available on board the _Crucible_ , in case we have missed the mark in our analyses."

Sascha flashed back to that moment several years ago when he and his friends had been on the _Crucible_ coming back from Illum after retrieving their crystals. Huyang had asked him to describe what his lightsaber to look like…and he hadn't the slightest idea. The droid had leaned in close to him and said, "Not what you imagine, but what you feel in your hand…what will make you strong in battle and humble in retreat, what connects with you?"

Even those words hadn't been able to help him figure it out. He'd always felt connected to his homeworld, Sluis Van, even though he barely had any memories of it, and well…humans weren't exactly native to the planet, being the homeworld of the Sluissi. Yet he had tried to immerse himself as much as he could in Sluissi culture, he'd learned Sluissese and he spoke it as well as it was humanly possible – without a Sluissi's long and viperine tongue it was impossible to pronounce certain words. But, he was unsure how he could use his link to his homeworld to design a lightsaber that would connect with him.

Huyang had let him wander around his collection of lightsaber hilts and Sascha had opened himself up to the Force, seeing if he felt a pull toward a certain design. It had taken awhile, but he finally felt a pull towards a particular one, and he'd chosen it and hadn't looked back. He had modified his hilt slightly over the years, Jedi were encouraged to customize their lightsabers to their needs, he had replaced the handgrip and changed the activation button, but largely it had remained unchanged.

Back in the present, he glanced up at Huyin, "I think mine is just one of the generic designs, though I'm saddened now that I didn't choose one of the lightsabers designed for me," said Sascha.

"No, Padawan, your design was specifically chosen for you, and it is quite special."

He squinted at the hilt in the metallic hands of the droid, "It doesn't seem special…could you tell me what makes it unique?"

Huyin's optical sensor's brightened, "How much do you know about the history of your homeworld, young one?"

"I learned as much as I could about it," he replied.

"So you know about Sluissi Jedi Knight Vsil Ejahsa, then?" Huyin inquired.

"Of course!"

Vsil Ejahsa had been a Sluissi Jedi Knight, she had died almost ten years before Sascha had been recruited into the Jedi Order. She had come upon a doomed passenger liner in her ship, the _Nova Dreamer._ The passenger liner had been hit by an asteroid and was being slowly sucked into the gravity well of a nearby planet, without power it would have plummeted to the surface, likely killing all aboard. Master Ejahsa had put out a distress call, but realizing that help would come too late, she had used her ship to physically push the passenger ship into a higher orbit, but in doing so she had damaged her own ship beyond repair. The _Nova Dreamer_ had crashed and Vsil Ejahsa had perished along with it, but the passengers about the liner had all been rescued. It had been a textbook example of the selflessness of a Jedi, sacrificing herself, so that many may live. Sascha had been very young when he'd first read the story of Master Ejahsa, and it had made an impression on him, he hoped that if the opportunity came that he could be as selfless as the Sluissi Jedi Knight had been.

"Was this her lightsaber?" Sascha asked, speculating that might be why it might be considered special.

"Heavens no!" said Huyin, looking as shocked as a droid could, "That would be macabre, carrying around the lightsaber of a dead Jedi Knight. No, the metal that makes up the casing of your lightsaber is from the remains of the _Nova Dreamer_ , a Sluissi built and designed ship, piloted by a Sluissi Jedi Knight. The design of the hilt was based on the design of her lightsaber, it would be hard to have a design that could reflect Sluis Van any more than this one. No, young one, this lightsaber was meant to be yours."

"I…I didn't know," said Sascha, overwhelmed, "I thought I was just choosing a design that connected with me."

"Isn't it obvious why this particular hilt spoke to you?" asked the droid gently.

"It seems obvious now, sir…I wonder why we weren't told about this…it doesn't make much sense to conceal the information."

"Did it matter, Padawan?" asked Huyin. "Does it make your lightsaber more effective now that you know why it was designed that way? All that mattered is your connection to it. This lightsaber simply had a more unusual story than most and I hoped that it might illuminate something for you. You carry enough weight of expectations as it is, being the only Jedi from Sluis Van, a planet that reveres our Order, I did not intend to add to your burden."

"The only burden that I carry is the one here," Sascha tapped his heart, "Becoming the best Jedi I can be is the only burden ever worth carrying. No, thank you very much for telling me my lightsaber's story Huyin…but there is something I must do now, I'll be back when my lightsaber is repaired."

Huyin nodded, "As you wish, young one, I will send you a message on your comlink when your lightsaber is ready for you."

Sascha left the repair room behind, a particular destination in mind.


	7. Chapter 6: Repairs, Homeworlds

**Sirion Lanor -** Thanks for the compliment. I really enjoy being able to play some different tones, do so within the same chapter whilist contuning a sort of theme. As for the construction of a lightsaber - I'm basing this off a couple of episodes of The Clone Wars, specifically 'The Gathering' and 'A Test of Strength' both of which were in season 5 of the show. I liked the EU a lot too, but the quality was a bit...uneven at times.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** I didn't think your review was that grumpy, you had like 5 compliments and like 1 not-quite criticism. I'm sorry for not mentioning you - you indeed were the person that mentioned pranking Yoda, which did give me the idea for what I wrote. Huyin being the twin of Huyang was born out of the whole 'yin and yang' thing...not sure if I could (or should) have made that more obvious, because it is kind of lame...but it is amusing to think of a droid speaking in David Tennant's voice (and he did win an Emmy for his role as Huyang).

And to deal with your minor criticism...we aren't done with either of the two things you mentioned. Patience young Padawan! I very much try to be careful in the hints that I'm leaving, and while some will be plot points, others will just be things that I use to further character development - like we are going to see with Sascha and his lightsaber in this chapter. And Aurine's injury has consequences that last for like...several more chapters.

 **Thejoker122-** Glad you enjoyed! I'd think that there would be at least a few Sluissi working at the Jedi Temple, probably working with in the hangers, considering Sluissi are supposed to be shipbuilders and mechanical experts.

A/N - I got nothing more to say

As always, please enjoy the next chapter! All reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Repairs, Modifications, Homeworlds**

Sascha exited the lightsaber repair room and made his way to the Temple Library, which was perhaps his favourite room in the entire Jedi Temple. A large chamber, it had eight separate wings filled with holobooks, datasticks and other methods of storing information, as well as a central area with terminals from which to work from. While the library could seem overwhelming to some, Sascha had always found its layout logical and usually had no trouble finding the information he wanted…eventually. Today he had a good idea of what he was looking for and upon entering the Library, he headed for the section that contained information about languages.

Sascha found the holobook he was looking for, an encyclopedia grandiosely entitled, _Known Languages of the Galaxy_. Selecting the volume that included Sluissese, he brought the holobook to one of the working stations in the center of the library, finding that there were only three other Jedi working in near silence in the high-walled room. Yet having found what he was looking for, he wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to proceed.

When Huyin had described the history behind his lightsaber a few things had struck him. The first was that he was completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of history behind it. It had been based off the design of a Jedi Knight that he revered and constructed from the materials that had made up her ship. Suddenly, he felt as if he had to live up to the standards of Vsil Ejahsa, even though he was still just a Padawan.

Something else that had struck him was that his lightsaber wasn't really his at all. It had been made simply because he existed. Someone in the Temple had found out that he felt connected to Sluis Van and that he idolized Vsil Ejahsa and commissioned a lightsaber based on those facts. It's not that he had lost his connection to his lightsaber, he was honored that someone went to so much trouble just to build something for him, but he wanted to do something that made his lightsaber _his_ again.

That was why when he opened the holobook, he found the section on Sluissese and immediately went to the section of the book that dealt with ancient Sluissese. Sluissese, like all languages, had changed and evolved over thousands of years of use, but he was searching for something from when the Sluissi had only known their own culture. In other words, he was looking for something pure Sluissi.

What he wanted to find was something to inscribe on his lightsaber, something profound that he could look at and remind himself of whom he was. He wanted to continue the theme of his lightsaber reflecting Sluis Van, but he was having trouble finding an appropriate inscription. He was able to find a collection of symbols that would have described his name in Sluissese, or more accurately, it would have read 'Sascha of White-star.' He supposed that would be kind of like putting a signature on your lightsaber, which was an interesting idea, but it felt too…selfish.

He scrolled through a section of the holobook that contained ancient Sluissi proverbs. Some were interesting, or thought provoking, but Sascha kept the question that Huyang had asked him in his mind, "What will make you strong in battle and humble in defeat?" Somehow, he didn't think inscribing, "What's good for the Karthac is good for the Oeskec," would remind him of that quote from Huyang. He needed something more...profound.

Hours passed. He had read so many proverbs and quotations they were all running together in his mind. Frustrated, he stared at the ceiling. He was wasting his time here. There was so much else that he could be doing right now. Huyin had messaged him hours ago, reporting that his lightsaber had been fixed. Doro and Trigg were off researching for their Masters. But here he was in the middle of the archives, reading up on old Sluissi proverbs!

He clenched and then un-clenched his fists a couple of times, in an attempt to dispel the anger he currently felt towards himself. There were so many more productive things he could have done this afternoon, but he had apparently chosen to do none of them. He was a Jedi, he was supposed to be helping people…who exactly was he helping with this?

Sascha was surprised by a soft touch on his shoulder. He whirled quickly...and would have fallen out of his chair had a strong hand not grabbed a hold of him. "My my," said a familiar voice, "my favourite young researcher is looking a tad...displeased with himself."

He recognized the voice instantly, "I'm a bit frustrated at myself right now, Master Jocasta," he said.

The kindly visage of Jocasta Nu, former member of the Jedi Council and Chief Librarian of the Jedi Archives stared back at him. An older Jedi, Master Jocasta was not quite elderly, but she was getting there. Sascha had helped Master Jocasta on many occasions, acting as a researcher. He was quite fond of the Chief Librarian of the Jedi Order and they had spent many hours working together.

The librarian looked at the holobook on his work station, "I see you are working on your languages again. Is speaking three languages at fifteen not enough for you?" she asked lightly.

"Almost sixteen," he added quickly.

Jocasta smiled, "Of course. But why don't you tell me what is frustrating you?"

He bowed his head, "I feel like I've wasted my time here. I was looking to find a quote or a proverb or something that would speak to me, but I've been reading this holobook for hours and nothing does!"

"I see..." said Master Jocasta, "You came here searching for something that would enlighten you, and you are frustrated that it is not easy?"

Put in those very stark terms, his problem seemed ridiculous, "Well...yes," he stammered, embarrassed.

The grey-haired Jedi knelt, "Do you know why so many people your age find research hard, but you never have?"

"Because I'm a genius?" he joked.

"Far from it, Padawan Whitestar," Master Jocasta said, smiling at his attempt at humor. "No, while research requires a certain amount of intelligence, what it requires more than anything is patience and perseverance. Both of which are traits you have in abundance. Or you used to have."

Those words have an effect on him. What had he been expecting would happen? That he would just take down a holobook off the shelf and magically find something inspirational? It sounded ridiculous. It _was_ ridiculous. If he wanted to really find something that speaks to him, he's going to have to put in the effort to do so.

He bowed his head politely, "Thank you for the lesson, Master Jocasta."

"Anytime, Sascha," replies the Jedi Master. Jocasta walked away quietly, leaving Sascha alone again.

He took a moment to compose himself before he re-opened his Holobook and started combing through the pages again. He is Sascha Whitestar. An he never gives up.

A few hours later, having found what he was looking for, Sascha returned to the lightsaber repair room and retrieved his newly repaired lightsaber from Huyin. Next, he found the schematic for the change he wanted to make to his lightsaber. It was a relatively simple modification to make, but he wanted to be careful with his most treasured possession, so he meditated briefly, focusing his mind, before starting on his little project.

His lightsaber activated when he pressed the activation button, like most other lightsabers, and was only turned off after two quick presses of the same button. What Sascha was installing was a master breaker on the inside of the hilt that he could use to turn the lightsaber on or off using the Force. It meant that if the breaker was in the off position the lightsaber could never be turned on, except via the Force. It would take a little getting used to, but Sascha felt that the improved control could come in useful at times, plus it was another small piece of customization for his lightsaber that differentiated it from others.

He completed that task carefully, but he wanted to complete his second task before checking with Huyin that his lightsaber's components were still arranged correctly. He took the small tool that Huyin had let him borrow and began to work. Using the Force to focus him completely, to give him a level of control that would have been worthy of a droid, he used the tiny drill to inscribe the Sluissese runes that were displayed on his datapad. It was time-consuming work because he had to be extraordinarily careful with the powerful detailing tool, if he let it cut too deeply into the hilt he could cause irreversible damage to the components within. That would be an embarrassing moment, to say the least.

Hours later, he emerged from the lightsaber repair room with a fully functional lightsaber. As he had left, Huyin had asked him what he had etched into his hilt. Sascha had chosen not to respond to the droid. No, this lightsaber had been designed for him, but he had finally done something that made it his. He had, quite literally, left a mark on it and he was not going to reveal what he had inscribed on his lightsaber to Huyin. Smiling, even as he realized how late the hour was and how tired he was, he had an idea how he could make tomorrow an extra special occasion for someone important to him.

* * *

The kitchens of the Jedi Temple were not a place where Sascha Whitestar tended to spend much time. Sure, he got kitchen duty like every other Jedi, and like most Padawans his age, he hated it, it was just so unfair having to prepare food for others when he could be _eating_ food. Once, during his years as an Initiate, he had gotten kitchen duty and he had tried to make Charanti, a favourite dish of Sluissi across the galaxy. The recipe he'd found promised that it was edible for most species. He'd picked the ingredients himself from the gardens in the Jedi Temple, putting far more effort than he perhaps should have into the endeavour, most Initiates just followed the instructions given to them to the letter and that generally produced edible if not outstanding meals.

He'd finished the preparations and been pleased with himself, while the dish was…fragrant, it tasted quite good. He was pleased to have made something from his homeworld, and was certain the other Initiates would enjoy it as well.

He'd been wrong.

While an experienced Jedi Knight knew enough about the cuisine of different cultures to know that if something smelled bad, it didn't necessarily taste bad, Jedi Initiates who never left the Temple lacked that particular piece of wisdom. The Initiates had treated Sascha's specialty dish like it was radioactive, avoiding it at all costs and making several jokes about how whoever prepared today's meal had simply raided the trash compactor and stuck it into a bowl. Iwo Kulka, a Ho'Din that was a few years older than him, had led the insults, and while in hindsight Sascha could laugh – some of Iwo's jokes had been hilarious, at the time each little joke and laugh had felt like a dagger into his heart.

He had slunk further and further into his seat with each insult, having lost the appetite for the meal he'd slaved over for hours. Tyra had come to his rescue, even at…how old had he been? Ten? Tyra had been his firmest friend, he had been attuned to her like no other person and her to him. She'd marched right to the counter in her intimidating way, grabbed a bowl and just about inhaled the Charanti. She'd eaten it so fast, Sascha was sure she was going to be sick, but when she was done she merely spoke in an authoritative voice, "If we avoided everything that smelled bad, we'd never talk to you, Iwo." Suddenly the laughter of the young Jedi had a new target and several Initiates admitted afterwards that this meal was an upgrade over some of the others they had endured. Sascha smiled to himself, he felt very lucky to have a friend like Tyra, they had understood each other at an early age, and their friendship had only strengthened since then.

Today he was in the kitchens, making a meal for just two people, using ingredients that he had bought in the Coruscant market earlier this morning. Padawans were technically not supposed to leave the Temple unaccompanied, so he had dragged Nara along with him, claiming that this was the payment for introducing her to his friends, and she had been too tired to disagree. Sascha had sought out a specific vendor in the vast Courscant market, a Devaronian trader who had fruits from Selvaris, his Master's homeworld. He hadn't wasted much time in haggling, so the Devaronian had gotten quite a good deal, but Sascha had gotten his ingredients and that was really all that mattered.

He brought his completed meal to the Halls of Healing, admiring the room's calming incense, which contrasted nicely with the delicious aroma arising from the two bowls he held in his hands. He made his way to his Master's bed. Aurine was reading one of the daily updates provided by the staff of the Jedi Library. "The last breakfast here," said Aurine, her eyes fixated on the screen, "Force, I can't wait to leave." She then sniffed at the meal that her Padawan had brought, and her eyes widened. "Is that…"

"A rojak made from fruits from Selvaris? Why yes it is Master," said Sascha with a sly smile.

"Somehow I doubt that this was on the menu at the Temple refectory," said Aurine, who smiled warmly at her Padawan.

"I went off menu for you, Master to celebrate that you'll be able to leave today."

Sascha ignored his Master sniffling and wiping a tear from her eye, "You are the best Padawan in the Temple, you know that Sascha?"

"Please, Master, I'm trying not to develop an ego here," he said with a laugh.

He handed a bowl to his Master and began to eat. "This is very good Padawan," said Aurine as she scooped another mouthful of fruit into her mouth, "I so rarely get anything that comes from my homeworld, Selvaris is pretty much in the middle of nowhere."

"Have you ever been, Master?" he inquired.

"No, Selvaris isn't even in the Republic; it's like an Outer Rim backwater that just happens to be located in the Inner Rim. I'll probably never get to see it," she said wistfully. "Though you'll probably get to see Sluis Van, I imagine, because I'd bet that you're the only Jedi in the Temple that speaks Sluissese."

"If the Force wills it, Master," Sascha said dutifully. He'd love to go visit his home planet but Jedi rarely got a choice of where they were sent.

They finished the meal in silence as had been tradition since their first meeting, and once they were done, Aurine spoke, "I see you got your lightsaber fixed, I've been wondering when you would get around to that."

"Fixed and made some modifications," he said, absentmindedly running a finger over the spot on the hilt where he had made his inscription.

"What does it say?" inquired Aurine.

He hesitated in answering for a split second, but there was really no way to avoid the question, "It says in ancient Sluissese, 'strength through connections.'"

"And you felt this quote spoke to you," replied Aurine, her voice open, encouraging her Padawan to continue.

Sascha took a deep breath, "It did. The older I get the more I realize that my life is about connections. My connection to the Force might be the most important, it allows me to be who I am, a Jedi Padawan. My connection to my friends has shaped and continues to shape me, they show me my weaknesses and my strengths, and they give me courage and companionship. My connection to my Master makes me humble, makes me realize that I have much more to learn, and through our relationship, through the experiences we have, I learn and grow stronger."

"We both learn and grow stronger," corrected Master Brynar.

He grinned, "Of course. And the connections with the people I meet on missions, the people I leave with good impressions of a Jedi, or save their lives, those are connections that I myself influenced. Each of those connections gives me strength, gives me a larger purpose in this galaxy. For yes, I am still one human male, but I connect to so much more, and that is what makes me important. It is what will make me strong in battle and humble in retreat."

Aurine looked at him for a long moment, "Well said, Padawan, but each of those connections can be twisted, be made into something negative. There is a difference between a connection, and an attachment, but it is not always clear when one becomes the other."

Sascha nodded slowly, "I know, Master. But there was no Sluissi rune for 'strength through only the positive aspects of connections,'" he said drolly.

Amused, Aurine reached out and tried to ruffle his hair, but he quickly moved out of the way. His Master shot him a petulant look, "No fair apprentice. At least indulge your injured Master."

Compliantly, he moved his head towards Aurine, and his Master ruffled his hair, taking the time to make his hair extra messy. Aurine laughed at him, and Sascha could only guess how awful his hair looked at the moment, "Such a dutiful Padawan you are." While he attempted to straighten out his hair, his Master's expression became serious again, "I wanted to thank you for helping me while I was here. I appreciate it. You really went above and beyond."

He bowed his head politely, "It was the least I could do, Master."

Aurine made a shooing gesture, "You can leave me for now. Master Che is going to give me a last check up and then I'll be free of this place. I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow. Usual time, usual place."

"Respectfully Master...I'd like to stay for a while."

Aurine's mirthful look disappeared, "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm sending you away. You have many things you should be working on, including working with that newly refurbished lightsaber of yours. Why don't you find a sparring partner and work up a good sweat?"

"I could...I suppose," he said quietly.

The Jedi Knight frowned, "Is there any reason you've suddenly stopped liking to spar? I usually don't have to coax you into doing anything."

He sighed and paced the length of Aurine's bed, slowly, "It's just that...I can't spar with Tyra because she's...I don't know...acting weird. Doro and Trigg are away. Yesterday I sparred with Neth...and it was a massacre. I wasn't even in the same league as he was. And I always thought Neth and I were fairly equal. Honestly, I just don't like...losing all the time."

"Sparring isn't about winning or losing Sascha, its about fixing mistakes and keeping skills sharp," commented Aurine. "There isn't a scoreboard somewhere that has everyone's win and loss record. There isn't anything wrong in getting the short end of the stick, as long as everyone is learning."

"Intellectually...I know that," he responded, head bowed. "I just don't want to be the one always saying 'Solah' at the end of these sparring sessions. It is petty, I'm aware, but it just reminds me that I'm not the strongest in the Force. It reminds me that I'm not that good."

Aurine laid a hand on his shoulder, "Let me tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to set up a sparring session between you and Nara."

"What? Nara's way better than I am, and she is younger than me!" Sascha hadn't sparred with Nara in a while, but he was pretty sure that the Togruta would be improving rapidly, while his improvement was marginal at best.

Aurine looked at him, a cryptic expression on her face, "Yet I suspect that if you spar today, you will do much better than you think."

He stopped pacing and frowned in confusion, "I...don't understand."

His Master grinned, "That's good. That means there are still some things I have left to teach you." Aurine stretched her arms above her head, "Let me tell you a secret. Nara won't beat you. And you know why?"

He shook his head, "I have no idea."

Aurine grinned, "She wants to be your friend."

"She's going to let me win?" he said incredulously.

"Did you lose a bunch of brain cells since yesterday? That's not what I said," said Aurine, getting testy for the first time. "I'm saying she won't be trying a hundred percent to win. She _will_ on the other hand, be trying to endear herself further to you. And generally people don't do that by beating the tar out of their friends in a sparring session. I suspect that she'll probably try to coax you into having some fun." Aurine shrugged, "I could be wrong, but I don't think I am."

"I...don't know what to say."

"Well, I think you pick up your comlink and call Nara," said Aurine drolly.

"I meant beside that," he said, smiling at his Master's frivolity. "I mean you seemed to have the answer to my problem just waiting for me. How do you do that?"

"You know, I once was a Padawan like you, right? I did manage to absorb some lessons through this thick skull of mine," she said, rapping her right fist lightly against the side of her head. "Also, I have had a _lot_ of time to think about things recently. It has allowed me to stay one step ahead of you."

Sascha smiled easily. His previous feelings of self-doubt seemed to have been swept away by the firm confidence of his Master. Feeling a lot better about himself, he nodded to her politely, "I bow to your wisdom, Master."

"Good." Aurine made a shooing gesture, "Go have fun, apprentice. Go kick some Togruta butt."


	8. Chapter 7: Tyra Alone

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways-** This next chapter is...not fun. It's one of my favourite chapters, but fun would not be a word I would use to describe it. Sascha is so nice...though to be fair Aurine did save him from leaving the Jedi Order. He's just repaying her faith in him.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** Sascha's modification will come in useful, but as you said, it comes with it's share of drawbacks that I'm sure Sascha hasn't thought about. I wouldn't particularly worry about a love triangle forming...mostly because Sascha would be too dense to see such a thing coming. As for things being a bit slow - I certainly agree, but it felt like I had to deal with a bunch of things before I could kick the plot into action. The preview chapters were possibly a mistake as they set hype level to '10', meanwhile its going to take a bunch of chapters to get there!

 **Thejoker122-** It's a solid point. Sascha and Aurine are actually closer in age than Obi and Anakin are, so there is certainly a 'sibling' part of their relationship. But when push comes to shove Aurine does know how to be the Master.

A/N - Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra will know that two of the show's best episodes are 'Zuko Alone' and 'Korra Alone.' It is in this spirit that the next chapter of this work is called 'Tyra Alone.' As many of you can perhaps tell, Tyra is probably my favourite character to write, despite this, ostensibly, being a story about Sascha Whitestar. Still, Tyra allows me to write a much different sort of character. This chapter we are going to kind of see what makes Tyra tick, and how she's reacting to the events of the last book, now that she has had time to think about it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, please enjoy the next chapter! All reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Tyra Alone**

Tyra Harker sighed deeply as she tried to focus herself for a meditation session. Even alone in her room, a place where she usually found peace of mind, she felt no peace today. Life had just gotten so difficult, so complicated. The simple truth was that she was still tormented by what had happened to her on Kuat.

It was on Kuat that she and Sascha had made a desperate last stand against what had seemed like the entire Kuati army. The two of them had held on for a long time, using Sascha's tactical nous and their long honed sense of teamwork to survive. Despite all that, eventually it had all gone to hell. Sascha had been wounded and had fallen unconscious, pushed to the brink of death, leaving her alone to protect him.

She had been so desperate to save Sascha that when exhaustion finally threatened to claim her, she had turned to the dark side to give her strength to fight on, to protect her friend. Tyra had only managed to stop herself from falling completely to the dark side by accepting that Sascha would rather have perished than watch her fall to the darkness. At the very end, she had accepted her own death and made peace with that idea. Yet her Master had come to rescue her and Sascha at the very last minute.

Later in the infirmary, reflecting on what had happened, she had to come to grips with some unfortunate truths. And the truth was that she loved Sascha Whitestar.

She wasn't quite sure how it had snuck up on her. He had always been her best friend, and aside from a brief period of time when he had developed a crush on her, their friendship had always been comfortably platonic. As Sascha grew older and into his adolescent frame, she would even admit that he was somewhat cute, though he was nowhere near as handsome as some of the other boys in the Temple.

Still, all she really knew was at the end of the battle on Kuat, that she would have given anything, including her own life to protect him. When he was unconscious and she was sure of her own death, all she had wanted was to see him open his soft brown eyes one more time, and look at her the way he always had, with compassion, friendliness and a deep sense that being together with _her_ had been special. She had wanted to kiss him on the lips because she wasn't sure that she wanted to go through life without kissing that cute boy who understood her better than anyone in the galaxy.

For the first time in her life, Tyra Harker was in love. And she hated herself for it.

Now every time she looked at Sacha, her heart skipped a beat. Every time he brushed his dark brown hair, she wished that it was her brushing his hair as they lay together somewhere private. She had never wanted anyone or anything so badly in her life. And the fact that she couldn't have it, and would never have it, made her more than a little depressed.

Unlike some of the other Padawans her age who grumbled about the rule against attachments, Tyra had always perfectly understood why attachments were strictly prohibited in the Jedi Order. She was proof of what could happen when attachments got out of hand. Before Kuat, she had never felt herself be pulled by the dark side in any way. Now she was constantly conscious of it.

The problem now was that she'd have to tell Sascha what had happened, how she'd need space from their friendship until she could sort herself out. And Force knew how long that would take. Maybe forever. That thought was like a dagger pressing against her heart. The idea that her lack of control could potentially cost her Sascha's friendship forever was enough to make the room spin in circles around her.

In her mind, she had already tried to go through what the conversation might be like when she confessed her feelings for him. But no matter how many ways she tried to express herself, it always ended horribly, with Sascha, as compassionate and understanding as he was, wondering why she hadn't been honest with him. She couldn't yet chart a course through the conversation that didn't make her feel horrible about herself.

No, the time wasn't right yet. She would wait until she could find the right words, and express herself correctly. Then, and only then would she tell Sascha. His friendship was too important to her to risk anything going wrong.

Well, anything _more_ going wrong.

At this point Sascha clearly knew that something major had happened to her on Kuat. If he hadn't been aware of it previously, he certainly would have figured it out when she had shoved him into a wall a few days ago. Tyra still cursed herself for that act of stupidity. Looking back, it was obvious that she had been more frustrated at herself than Sascha, and that he had been just a convenient target to take her frustration out on.

But the thing that worried her most was that he anger she had felt towards Sascha not fixing his lightsaber had come from a very real fear of hers, a fear that she wouldn't always be around to protect him. It was a fear that told her that Sascha could die on his very next mission and that she couldn't do anything to stop it. It was a fear that one day she would wake up and Sascha would just be...gone.

It was the root of her attachment to Sascha. Her romantic feelings towards him were one thing, but, she was beginning to suspect that even if she got over those feelings that she still wouldn't be able to let him go. She suspected that she would never be at peace with the idea that the next time she saw Sascha might be the last time that she did. Frankly, she had no idea how any Jedi made peace with that idea.

Snapped out of her daydreaming by her comlink ringing, she answered it by instinct, "Tyra Harker."

"Sascha Whitestar," said Sascha, his tone lilting, wry. She allowed herself a little smile. Sascha had always possessed a sarcastic sense of humor that she had always loved. Not that she would ever admit that, of course. It was best not to encourage Sascha, his humour was fine on occasion, but if he was always trying to crack a joke, things would get tedious very quickly.

"To what do I owe the honor of your call?"

"You still okay if I bring my recording of my sparring match with Nara to you to review?" he asked.

Tyra hesitated for a brief moment, "Yes, of course. How'd it go?"

"I knocked her around the sparring arena like she was a discount dueling droid," he said sarcastically.

"Tell me what really happened," she said, a small smile on her lips.

"She left me lying in a pool of my own blood," Sascha replied, his tone still light, mocking.

She snorted, "So should I come visit you in the Halls of Healing then? I guess the bed next to your Master is still available."

"Ouch. Low Blow. Okay, Nara bloodied my nose with a wayward kick. Otherwise I did okay."

"Would you say you won or you lost?" she inquired lightly. Sascha usually lost much more than he won, though that had never seemed to have bothered him, until recently.

Sascha hesitated for a second, "I'd say it was a draw."

"Well I'll make a judgment of my own when I review the session," she said dryly. "Did Nara not want to come along?"

"Nah, she was going to come and then her Master called her away, so you'll have to make do with just me. See you in five, Tyra. I'm just going to shower and then I'll be there."

The part of Tyra's mind that was obsessed with boys did a cartwheel at the idea of Sascha stepping out of the shower, clad in just a towel, his hair wet and tousled, water streaming down his athletically muscled frame…

"Stop it!" she said to her empty room. Embarrassed, she felt her cheeks warm slightly. "Force, I am a mess these days." Daydreaming about her best friend being half-naked was not going to help her at all. She needed to get back into action, away from the Temple, so she could focus her mind on something other than her current predicament.

She liked boys, she liked watching them move in their powerful, determined way. She liked watching them spar, and absurd as it was, she liked to think that they were fighting over _her_. It was nothing more than a teenage fantasy, but she just loved the idea of two boys being so desperate for her attention that they would fight to get it. While it was probably immature of her to think that way, she was sixteen and her mind sometimes drifted to such…sensual matters. She also knew it was better to embrace and control those feelings than to deny that they existed. So she daydreamed and fantasized, and never felt too badly about it.

Tyra knew that she'd never be considered anything more than 'cute.' She had made peace with that a long time ago. As much as she wanted to be as beautiful as some of the other women in the Jedi Order, like Aalya Secura, she just wasn't. She was short, small-chested, with brown hair that always seemed to be tangled somehow, which was why it was always tied in a basic ponytail. Her best attribute was her athleticism, and the boys who liked athletic-looking girls like her occasionally took notice of her. Occasionally.

The door chime to her room rang. "Enter," she said. Sascha strode through the doorway and gave her a small wave that made her heart beat slightly faster. Short, but taller than she was by an inch or so, Sascha Whitestar was, like her, much more cute than handsome. His still drying dark brown hair was medium length, and his Padawan braid reached the top of his right shoulder. His face was open and expressive, with deep brown eyes that always seemed to reflect his mood. His gray robes concealed a physique that she knew was lithe and not overly defined. Unlike other males his age, he hadn't put a large emphasis on 'muscling up' or spending long hours in the gym. That suited Tyra Harker just fine. She liked his contradictions, a soft, inviting face contrasting with a physique that was suitable for a champion kickboxer.

Too bad he would never be hers.

She closed her eyes for a second, gathering herself. She was not going to let herself be distracted. Feeling the discipline that she had honed for long years emerge from wherever it had been hiding, she moved to sit beside her friend as he set up his datapad. Taking notice of a patch of redness on his nose, she impishly flicked it with her finger.

"Ow!"

"Looks like our resident Togruta left her mark on you," she joked.

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, "It's just bruised though. No damage."

"Do I need to have a word with Padawan Nalto about going easy on her sparring partners?"

Sascha turned his head and shot her a disarming smile, "I seem to recall another Jedi that almost broke my nose in a training session."

She grinned, "Touche." That Jedi had been her.

Truth be told she had sparred with Sascha more times than she could count and they both had inflicted their share of minor injuries on the other. That was just the way it was in the Temple. You got hurt. She had never minded though, it had made her tough, able to fight through pain that would have incapacitated a lesser woman. Plus, it was only through sparring with Sascha that she had developed a fundamental understanding of how he fought, an understanding that had been more than a little useful when fighting for their lives on Kuat.

Sascha queued up the recording of his session. His opponent, the feisty little Togruta that Tyra had instantly taken a liking to, was Sascha's superior when it came to combat, generally speaking. However Nara was still young and learning how to use her talents to their greatest effect. Talented Jedi often took longer to hone their talents because they could learn a deeper skill set, whereas less talented Jedi, like Sascha, quickly learned to use what talents they had.

The human and the Togruta started out slowly, first going through a couple of two person katas that they each knew by heart, just to warm up Then they started sparring free form. Tyra watched, pausing the recording to discuss certain flaws in Sascha's technique. His technique had gotten significantly better, under the tutelage of his Master she had to admit. Still, he was not without his flaws and she was able to point out a few of the more obvious mistakes that he was making.

With neither of the two young Padawans able to better their opponent with their lightsabers, they both disengaged their lightsabers and continued their sparring match unarmed. It was not an entirely uncommon decision, but she was a bit surprised to see Sascha pushing himself so quickly after recovering from his injury.

As she continued to watch the sparring session play out, she was surprised to see that Sascha was getting the better of Nara, he had even able to throw her to the ground on a couple of occasions. Tyra had thought that Nara would have been much better at unarmed combat, considering she was a Togruta, and she was a predator by nature. Then she came to the obvious conclusion. Nara was letting Sascha win. For a second, she thought about pointing it out before she decided to keep her mouth shut. It would be good to see Sascha's confidence get rebuilt a little anyway.

Turning her focus back to the recording, Sascha was battering the Togruta with a barrage of kicks, which Nara was blocking with her arms, when Nara surprised him by leaping at him and tackling him to the ground. If Sascha had been on top of his game, he could have easily countered the desperate manouever, but Nara had managed to surprise him and Sascha had reacted too slowly. Tyra paused the recording, with the two Padawans a tangle of arms and legs on the padded floor of the sparring arena. "So, did she catch you off guard or did you just want to tumble around on the ground with our new Togruta friend?"

Sascha blushed slightly, "She caught me at a bad time, with a move I didn't expect."

"Uh huh, and there was no ulterior motive with getting to get up close and personal with Nara?"

Sascha rolled his eyes, "I think the minor thrill of being in close contact with a female is somewhat overridden by the fact that if I start thinking about that, she'll tear my limb from its socket or choke me into unconsciousness."

"Fair enough," she said as pressed the play play button. It was not like she had expected a different answer from Sascha. Besides, Nara was kind of plain looking for a Togruta, probably not the kind of girl that would even draw Sascha's interest.

The Padawans continued tumbling, searching for an advantage over the other. Getting an arm free, Nara sunk an elbow deep into Sascha's stomach, which momentarily stunned him. Taking advantage, Nara wrapped her legs around Sascha's hips. Now in trouble, as the Togruta had almost total control of him, Sascha tried to dislodge Nara, but to no avail. Then, seeing her chance, Nara snuck her arm underneath his chin, clasping her hands together for extra leverage and strength. Sascha's eyes widened and he tried to pry her arm away from his neck. In the video, he could see Sascha weaken as the blood flow to his brain was constricted. He blinked a couple of times and then his eyes drifted closed. Nara immediately pushed him off of her and onto the floor of the sparring room, where he lay unmoving, his eyes closed, his chest not rising nor falling.

Tyra felt her body tense as she took in a deep breath. She fought against a wild, irrational fear that she had just watched her best friend die. He's right beside me, she tried to tell herself. Searching for confirmation that it was indeed Sascha Whitestar beside her and not just an apparition, she reached out with her arm and laid a steadying hand on his shoulder.

Sascha instantly took notice of her distress and paused the video, "Tyra, what's wrong?"

When she gathered herself enough wrest control back from her panicked state, she saw that Sascha was holding her hand and staring deep into her eyes. "Tyra?"

"I'm…back," she said hesitantly, "What happened?"

"You freaked out," he said softly.

"I…yeah…I guess I did freak out," she said, brushing her hair nervously. She had thought that she had just watched a nightmare, her best friend, the boy she loved, laying lifeless on the ground. Didn't she just watch that? She was sure that she had. "Was this some sort of prank?"

Sascha looked at her oddly, "Tyra, watch the video again." He hit a few buttons on the datapad and the video again showed Nara's choke, this time she saw Sascha clearly tap on Nara's arm in a gesture of surrender, and the Togruta released the pressure she had been applying to his neck. Nara pushed Sascha onto the floor where he laid unmoving for a short second, before Sascha stuck his tongue out at the Togruta and bounced back to his feet with ease, none the worse for wear.

"We were just playing around," he said as he closed his datapad, "You know like _we_ used to do. Nara was just demonstrating that she had the choke, and she gave me the chance to get out of it, which I obviously failed to do."

"I thought you were unconscious," she said, aware that her defence was lame at best.

"Even if Nara was so reckless as to actually place a real choke on me during a sparring session, I wouldn't have been in any danger. How many times has Trigg lost consciousness because he was two proud to surrender? Like a half-dozen times, right? And he's still fine."

"Depends on your definition of fine," she replied, trying and failing to inject some humor into her voice, "This is Trigg we are talking about."

Sascha smiled politely at her joke, but she could tell he wasn't going to be deterred easily. "Tyra, what is happening with you? You've been pushing me away ever since Kuat, and I've been content to give you the space that you've asked for, but…something is obviously wrong, why don't you want to talk to me about it? I haven't done anything to lose your friendship, have I?"

She took a moment to compose herself and chart the way she wanted this conversation to go. "Sascha do you know how hard it is to watch someone you care about almost die? Because that's what I had to watch on Kuat."

"Tyra…"

She held up a hand to stop him and continued, "Every Jedi has a section of the Jedi Code that they have trouble with. Mine is _there is no death, there is the Force_. I know that I shouldn't react to the thought of you dying, but it was so hard to watch it on Kuat, and then I thought I was watching it again in the video…" She swallowed hard, "I worry for Doro and Trigg and everyone, and I wonder each time I see them, if it will be the last. Our job is dangerous, Sascha. And only now do I really understand that."

Sascha frowned, "So it's not just me you are worried about. It's Doro and Trigg and Eida and Sarn?"

Force bless you for giving me a way out of this conversation, thought Tyra Harker, "Exactly. Do you remember when Master Desroch…died, I mean became one with the Force?" The elderly Jenet had been a teacher at the Temple, and he had instructed Dragon clan on numerous occasions. Yet one day they had awoken to the news that the Jedi Master had fallen ill and was not expected to recover. A few days later, after each of the young Dragons had been able to say their goodbyes, the Jedi Master had passed away. She still remembered how it had felt, how one second his presence had been there, and the next it was gone. It had been her first acquaintance with death.

Sascha nodded, "I do. It was a very sombre day. But Master Desroch died at the age of a hundred and six, surrounded by friends. Then after the ceremony, his friends shared stories of his life in the refectory. We all laughed and cried along with the stories, and we understood that Master Desroch lived his life the way he had wanted to. I always thought that it was beautiful."

"It was, but I remember thinking that I didn't want to be the one telling the stories, to have to live my life without my friends."

Sascha reached out and placed a hand softly on her back, in what she knew was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but only ate away at her discipline to keep this conversation from going places she didn't want it to go. Gently, she removed his hand. Sascha cocked his head inquisitively. In response she just shook her head slowly, "I just need some time and space to think about things, Sascha. And I don't think these are issues that I can discuss with you. I need to wait for Master Nal'ma to get back from Kuat, and then have a long talk with him. You're my best friend, but sometimes, a Padawan needs to talk to her Master."

Sascha looked away, seeming contemplative. Finally he spoke, "I suppose that's true. I just wish it was like the old days, when it was just you and me and the other members of our clan. It was simpler then. I guess growing up made everything more complicated."

Oh you have no idea, thought Tyra. She grabbed his datapad, which had been lying on the floor and handed it to him, "This was nice, Sascha. But as I said, I still need time."

Taking the hint, he accepted his datapad from her hand and started towards the door. He paused at the entryway and looked back at her, "You know if there is anything you ever want to talk about Tyra, you can always talk to me, no matter the topic."

More than anything, Tyra Harker wished that statement were true.


	9. Chapter 8: Recovery, Birthday

**Sirion Lanor -** Thanks for the 2 for 1 review! I don't want to disagree necessarily with the points you've brought up, because I think they are good ones, but I think you have to remember you are getting 'snapshots' into the lives of Sascha and co. So Tyra's not necessarily going around obsessing over boys - but give her a quiet moment alone and yeah...boys come to mind. Same with Sascha - though he's very much a 'good' young apprentice, he's still going to have moments where he's sixteen and he's going to have 'teenager' moments. To be fair, perhaps I've emphasized that a bit too much.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- The contradictions in the rule against attachments are numerous (thanks, George). As for Tyra, I think her feelings totally snuck up on her. Sascha up until Kuat had just been her best friend but when she actually stops to think about her feelings towards him it's like 'crap I really like this boy.' It's also part of falling for someone at sixteen. There are no half measures, generally speaking. And good catch on Tyra's question towards Nara - she's like patting herself on the back saying 'good, he's not interested in her, so he can still be interested in me!' Unfortunately, Sascha is dense when it comes to girls...so very very dense (takes after the author actually).

 **Thejoker122-** Like usual, you've made some very astute guesses. As you said, it will be interesting to see it play out.

A/N - Just to let you know about the kind of 'format' of this book. There will be a short 'arc' centered around Sascha's birthday and the events around it. Then the fallout from Episode 1 happens (and we meet Obi-wan and Anakin). Then we'll be on to the main mission of the story. If it sounds like a lot...it is! But that's good. I think. More content for you to enjoy.

As always, please enjoy the next chapter! All reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Recovery/Birthday**

The next week was an interesting experience for Sascha Whitestar. His own recovery completed, he spent quite a bit of time sparring with his friends, mostly getting his butt kicked, as usual. It was fun though, he enjoyed testing himself against his fellow Padawans. As his Master had said, it didn't matter if he 'won' or 'lost,' he just needed to keep improving his skills, which he was, slowly but surely.

The biggest problem in his life was the recovery of his Master. His recovery had been relatively smooth, but Aurine's was coming along very slowly. It was an odd thing to watch a Jedi that was much more experienced and powerful than himself fail at tasks he himself could complete with ease. Usually the opposite was true, he was a Jedi that who had to rely more on guts, intelligence and a healthy lack of fear to succeed. Aurine, the cool, confident, focused, Jedi Knight never seemed to have a problem with any task, until now.

One event in particular stood out in his mind.

One afternoon, he and Aurine had decided to change their routine up a little and go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to exercise. His Master had chosen to start doing handstands near the ledge of one of the larger waterfalls in the room and he had followed suit. He had assumed that Aurine had chosen such a spot because he wasn't overly fond of heights. His fear had been conquered easily enough and it had been no problem for him to do handstands beside his Master. To confirm that he was above such petty fears, he started to do upside-down push-ups.

Really, he spent more time paying attention to his Master, who usually could do all sorts of tricks in this position, Aurine had incredible flexibility to go along with her considerable strength, but that day she seemed to have trouble even with a simple handstand.

If Aurine had been a little more cognizant of her weakness, she would have tried to stay with just doing a handstand or some basic exercises. But of course, she was Aurine Brynar and such things evidently did not occur to her. His Master always wanted to push herself. So, to add to the degree of difficulty, while doing her handstand, she started lifting pebbles with the Force and stacking them atop each other.

She had managed to keep her attention divided for a while, but eventually, her concentration had slipped for a split second, and she had tumbled off the ledge and fallen towards the pool below. Aurine had managed to turn her unintentional fall into a somewhat graceful dive, and she had emerged from the pool spluttering and swearing, disturbing a group of young Initiates that had been meditating nearby. His Master was not at all pleased how slowly she was recovering her strength to say the least.

Each day, he would try to calm his Master down, as she pushed herself harder and harder in her recovery. Aurine seemed convinced that she was falling behind some sort of schedule that he had not been made privy to. He would have appealed to Luminara for help had she not been away on a mission and out of contact. Sascha had promised Luiminara she'd try to stop Aurine from doing exactly what she as currently doing…but he still hadn't figured out a way to do so and he was quickly running out of ideas.

Eventually, it had all come to a head at breakfast.

After both Jedi had finished with their meal, Aurine had spoken up, "How would you feel about doing some sparing today?"

"Sounds good, Master," he replied absentmindedly. "I think Nara should be available, as long as I agree to help her with some coursework afterwards."

"I was actually thinking that we'd spar, Sascha."

Sascha bit his lip to prevent himself from saying what immediately came to mind, that Aurine wasn't physically ready for the rigors of a sparring session...even one with him. "I think maybe we could practice some Soresu forms together," he hedged.

Aurine didn't look impressed, "Nonsense apprentice. I'm ready for some full contact sparring. I need to get back in the swing of things. I need to hit something and get hit in return."

"That's not what Master Che says," he countered. The Twi'lek healer messaged him at least once a day, telling him in no uncertain terms that his Master was being far too reckless with her recovery. Aurine got those messages too, but she clearly didn't seem to care about them.

"Master Che isn't here," said Aurine, her tone becoming a bit harsher. "I know my body, and I know I'm ready for some sparring."

"Master, if we spar, I'm going to beat you," he said flatly. The first time an apprentice beat a Master in a sparring session was supposed to be something that happened late on in an apprenticeship. It indicated that the student had surpassed the Master. In some cases, a Padawan would never beat his or her Master. Sascha himself doubted that he'd ever be able to beat Aurine. He was not exactly a combat specialist, and Aurine was miles better than him when it came to the martial aspects of being a Jedi. Except if they sparred today, with him at full strength and his Master at much less than that he was sure he would win.

Aurine's expression hardened, "You underestimate me, Padawan."

"I don't underestimate you," Sascha said, choosing his words carefully, "I just think that you are pushing yourself too hard. I'm happy to do some lightsaber katas with you, but I don't want to hit you while you are still recovering. It's not fair to you or me."

"It sounds like you don't trust me," Aurine said, her voice now cold.

Sascha almost bounced out of his seat, "Master, of course I trust you! But I'm asking you to trust me! You haven't recovered fully, you are slow and you aren't using the Force as well as you usually do. Trust my judgment."

Sascha might as well have been talking to a wall. "It's just one sparring session," said Aurine. "And I do trust you, that is why I'm sparring with you, and not any other Jedi." Aurine pointed at her chest, "But you have to trust my judgment."

He thought about objecting one more time before deciding that it was pointless. He bowed his head politely, "Okay, Master." When it all came down to it, he did trust his Master, and perhaps Aurine was right. Perhaps what Aurine needed was to get back into her normal routine.

A few minutes later they were warming up in a sparring room, which was a medium sized chamber with a high ceiling and padded walls, and perhaps most importantly, padded floors. Sascha had become quite acquainted with the padded floors of many of the Jedi Temple's sparring rooms. Then again, most Jedi were.

Sascha completed his warmup quickly and glanced over to watch his Master complete her warmup. Aurine was well-built and athletic for a human woman in her twenties. Long years of honing her body, had made it both supple and surprisingly strong. Physically, Sascha was a waif, compared to his Master. But today she didn't move with her usual grace, her usual finesse, and he could tell that it was because she was not fully healed. More than that, it seemed like her brain would tell her body to do something, but her body would resist. Jedi were supposed to fight with mind, body and spirit all aligned, and Aurine was going to have difficulty doing so.

Sascha had a plan for this sparring session, but it was one he wasn't looking forward to implementing. One of the pieces of wisdom that Aurine had taught him, was that if you got in a fight, you had to do your best to end it quickly. There were so many variables to a fight, and it just took one split-second of hesitation or one wrong decision for a fight to end badly. So he was going to follow her wisdom and end this sparring session as soon as he could, and that, would hopefully open Aurine's eyes to reality.

Aurine, finished her warmup, and bounced lightly on her toes, a light sheen of sweat visible on her forehead. The Jedi Knight took her lightsaber from her belt and checked the setting, making sure it was on 'burn' rather than full power. "Ready Sascha?" she asked.

Sascha stood with his hands loosely at his sides, completely flatfooted, "I'm ready."

"Aren't you going to draw your lightsaber?" Aurine asked, as she started moving towards him.

Sascha stood still, "No. I don't need it."

Aurine's eyes narrowed at the insult, "I swear I taught you better than to underestimate your opponent."

The young Padawan was pretty sure that he'd judged his opponent correctly, and that he wasn't going to need his lightsaber, "I'm merely following your teaching, Master."

The tiny half-grin that usually appeared on his Master's face during combat made an appearance, and Sascha knew the fight was on. Aurine came at him, poking at him with her green-bladed lightsaber. Sascha used his agility to keep out of the way of her blade. That wasn't going to be something he could manage for long, so he put his plan into action quickly.

Aurine tried another stab with her emerald blade, but as she was slower than usual, Sascha got the time to act first. A quick, two fingered thrust popped Aurine's pressure point on her elbow, causing her lightsaber to drop from her temporarily numb hand. Then, he stepped back for a second and drove a fist into Aurine's right side, catching her right in the liver.

The Jedi Knight dropped onto all fours, clutching her side in obvious pain. Sascha, despite not wanting to take satisfaction from facing an over matched opponent, marveled at the way he had dispatched Aurine. He had dished out no permanent damage and he had hit her exactly where he had wanted to. The whole exercise may have lasted twenty seconds, and had left Aurine on the ground, defeated.

His Master collected herself relatively quickly, but stayed on the ground, making no move to defend herself. Again, Sascha was forced to remind himself that Aurine was tougher than durasteel. He was pretty sure if he had been on the receiving end of that punch, he'd still be huffing and puffing on the ground.

"Maybe...I need a few more days of taking it easy," Aurine managed to say, as she continued to tenderly massage her right side.

"I told you so," Sascha replied.

A wry, disarming grin appeared on his Master's face, "Yes...I'm sorry, Sascha. Now can you help your Master up? It's impolite to leave her lying on the floor."

Sascha offered her a hand and Aurine grabbed on to it. Yet, instead of pulling herself to her feet, she used his hand to drag him to the ground. Sascha hadn't been expecting that. By the time he had realized that his Master wasn't yet interested in ending the sparring session, he was in a losing position. Despite his struggles, his Master successfully applied an armbar to him, which had him tapping the ground furiously in surrender seconds after it was applied.

Aurine released the hold and got to her feet, "I win, apprentice."

Sascha rolled on to his back, "Master, that wasn't fair," he said, as he rubbed his elbow. The soreness in his elbow was fading quickly, but it still smarted.

"Fair has nothing to do with it. I won, you lost. My undefeated record against you remains in tact."

Sascha groaned good-naturedly. While he hadn't particularly wanted to beat his Master, he hadn't wanted to lose in this fashion either.

Aurine tried to keep a straight face, but failed. Both Master and Padawan laughed, and the tension that had existed between the two of them evaporated in a single moment. "I'm going to go to the Halls of Healing for a checkup," said Aurine, "You've earned the rest of the day off. Go have fun in the Library or whatever it is you do to amuse yourself."

"Okay, see you at dinner, Master," he said.

Aurine bowed politely, "I'll see you."

Before his Master could reach the door, he spoke up, "Master, it's impolite to leave your Padawan lying on the floor."

Aurine didn't turn, "Oh no, I'm not falling for that one. Try harder, apprentice."

Sascha waited for Aurine to close the door before getting to his feet. Somehow, that hadn't gone too badly, he thought.

* * *

A few days later, it was an event that came once a year. His birthday.

Traditionally, a birthday would not marked by a celebration, but observed quietly, with reflection and meditation. What excited many Padawans is that customarily a Master would give their apprentice a gift to denote the occasion. Because Jedi tended to accumulate few possessions, any chance to acquire a possession…any possession, was a rare day. Sascha could count his possessions on one hand, he had a brown travellers cloak, a garish looking cloak he had acquired on Kuat and hadn't managed to dispose of yet, a couple of copies of his charcoal grey Jedi robes and his lightsaber. Jedi just didn't accumulate much; they were humble servants of the Republic and acted as such. Frankly, it suited Sascha just fine.

Many Masters searched throughout the year for an appropriate present, force sensitive stones were a popular choice, as well as bantha-hide cloaks, or high quality boots. Sascha didn't care a lick about his birthday, he wasn't even sure that Aurine would remember that it was his birthday, but given the chance, he would have traded whatever present he was (or wasn't) going to receive for a Master back at full health.

After finishing a silent breakfast on his birthday, Aurine broached the topic, "So, it's a special day for you Padawan. How does it feel to be sixteen?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Pretty much the same as it felt to be fifteen."

"I think I'm supposed to remind you to spend some time today in meditation, reflecting on the past and your future as a Padawan, but telling you to meditate is like telling a fish that it should swim," said Aurine with a smile. Sascha smiled back, while some young Jedi had to be almost bludgeoned into meditating, he enjoyed the simple pleasures of a relaxing meditation session. "I suppose you would like to see your present?"

Sascha shook his head, "I don't really care, Master."

"You don't, I do. It's rare that I get a chance to reward you, so I'm going to take my chance to do so. Your present is in my room, follow me, Padawan."

Sascha followed his Master, almost disappointed with the small thrill of anticipation he feels. Aurine's room is a bit bigger than the Padawan's own, and within the room are the few non-standard possessions that she has. He admires a small but exotic fruit-bearing plant from Selvaris that he knows is his Master's favourite possession. It had been a present from her Master, Nova Trynith, given after she had achieved the rank of Jedi Knight.

Aurine retrieved a box and handed it to the Padawan, "Happy birthday Sascha."

Sascha opens the box and is surprised to see that within the box there is a piece of clothing, the material is fine, light, clearly of high quality. He removes it fully from the box, it's a Jedi robe, no, he corrects himself, it's modeled after a Jedi robe but it has different patterns on it. The main part of the robe is charcoal grey like his current robes, but cleverly woven into the material are are teal motifs. It is a combination that could have been ostentatious, but the markings are subtle enough not to make it crass.

As he looked at hit, he came to an obvious conclusion, "This is...beautiful Master, is it from the same place your emerald robe is from?" Aurine had a flashy emerald robe of similar quality that she wore on occasion, though she wore her more traditional beige robes whenever leaving the Temple.

"Yes, Padawan, I thought I should start a little tradition, I received that robe on my sixteenth birthday, so I figured I could give you a robe on your sixteenth birthday too. You haven't seen the best part though, read the markings on the arms," she said, clearly pleased that her Padawan liked her gift.

He reads the markings on both arms of the robe, he's surprised to see it's written in Sluissese, "Warrior of light, beacon in the dark – Sascha of White-star," he translates, not sure why there is a lump forming in his throat. "I…" he falters, "…thank you, Master… I'll treasure it forever."

"Good, because that robe cost me a month's pay," Master Brynar replies lightly, grinning at her Padawan. "I have something else for you," she says, withdrawing a small piece of flimsi from her robe and handing it to him."

"Something else? You shouldn't have, Master," Sascha replied before looking at the scrap of paper in his hand.

Aurine shrugged casually"Don't thank me yet, and this wasn't really my idea, you were requested."

"Requested? By who?" Sascha looked at the small slip of flimsy, and he read part of it, ' _A Normal Heart_ – _A Jedi Story, A Musical in Three Acts, Coruscant Opera House.'"_ Confused, he looked up at his Master for any hint as to what this was.

Aurine grinned, obviously in a good mood, "A couple of days ago, the backer of this particular musical petitioned the Temple to see if anyone wanted to see the Coruscant debut of their new musical, and specifically they asked for 'Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar' to attend. Though they also asked for a few Jedi to perform security for the debut, a fairly common request for large events that deal with the Jedi…we aren't as popular as we used to be and someone may take the opportunity to make a statement."

"So…I'm part of the security detail," he said hopefully.

"No, I'll be part of the security team, you and your friends will attend the musical and act as fine an upstanding young members of the Jedi Order, clapping at the right time and all that."

Sascha wanted to object to nearly everything his Master just said, so he started with the most important objection, "Master, I'm not sure you're ready for action…even security duty."

Aurine waved his objection away, "Nonsense Padawan, I might not be a hundred percent healed, but we'll be traveling in groups, I'm sure Master Tiplee and Master Nal'ma can look after me. Sascha it's Coruscant and there will be four other perfectly healed Jedi Knights as part of the security detail, and even at less than full capacity I can still fend for myself."

Sascha immediately knew this was an argument he was not going to win, his Master wanted to leave the Temple and this was an excuse to do so, so he moved on to his second complaint, "Master, I'm not sure about this…I mean who requests a Padawan to attend a musical? Are you sure this isn't a trap? Remnants of Tu Dronos' pirate gang maybe?"

"That seems very unlikely Sascha, and you'll have four other Padawans with you, your four closest friends I may add, it's likely the closest thing you'll ever have to a birthday party. Plus…I thought you might like the musical…you like music don't you," she said with all the hopefulness of a mother who clearly has bought her child the wrong hologame.

Sascha wonders how he could nitpick over the gift he's being given, and decides that even sitting through a musical could be fun if he gets to do it with his friends. "Okay, Master, I probably won't get many chances to attend an event at the Coruscant Opera House, so I can't pass this one up. When do we leave?"

Aurine smiled broadly, "Be at the front entrance at 1800 standard time, you have free time until then. Remember to meditate!"


	10. Chapter 9: Act One - On Stage

**Sirion Lanor -** It's funny because I read that comment about making it like 'Ember Island Players' and was like...that is a great idea. Unfortunately it's not going to play out quite that way. Thanks for the review as always.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- Aurine's definitely fond of Sascha, and I love showing the depth of their relationship. For me, I think if there were a universe where Jedi were real - there would be so much media based on the Jedi - I mean think how many Marvel/DC comics/movies/TV shows there are (and these characters don't exist). Imagine if they did how many shows would be about the Jedi? Probably a notable amount, right? Anyway, you'll see the musical itself in this chapter, but the part that is interesting comes afterward...

A/N - No notes this time!

As always, please enjoy the next chapter! All reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 9: How to Embarrass a Padawan, an Evening in Several Acts. Act 1: On Stage  
**

Sascha arrived at the front entrance of the Jedi Temple a few minutes before the time that his Master had set for him. The only person at the front entrance was a Jedi Temple Guard in full regalia. With their golden-brown robes and lightsaber pikes, the Temple Guard were easy to pick out of a crowd. Sascha didn't know their exact numbers, but the members of the Temple Guard were sworn to protect the grounds of the Jedi Temple from any threat. Yet they were not exactly known as conversationalists.

He only had to wait a few awkward (and silent) minutes for the rest of the party to arrive. First to arrive was his Master, who smiled at him and came to his side. "Excited?" she asked.

"A little," he allowed.

Aurine smiled at him, "You'll have fun."

Next to arrive were Doro and Trigg, who each looked very amused at the idea of attending a musical. Sascha was sure that they were both trying to think up some sort of harmless prank that they could pull off...without being caught of course.

Following behind the two Corelians were the two Jedi responsible for the training of the impetuous young Padawans. Mas Missur was Doro's Master. A male Falleen, Mas had the normal green skin of his species, along with the usual prominent facial and spinal ridges. Mas was well known for his skill in using the Force during combat, which was interesting, because Doro tended to be the exact opposite, Doro loved using his lightsaber in combat.

Trigg's Master was a stocky Pantoran named Arvis Azrah. The Pantoran was blue-skinned with dark purple hair that was cut in an intricate style. Arvis, much like his Padawan, was a jovial, lighthearted Jedi. Usually deployed on diplomatic missions, Arvis was also a very capable fighter, known for his nearly flawless defensive technique.

Shortly after those Jedi arrived, Sascha felt a familiar presence growing stronger. When he turned, he saw Tyra and her Master, Teff Nal'ma making their approach. Tyra was still acting weird towards him, but today she seemed mostly normal. She smiled and waved at him, and came to his side, impishly digging an elbow into his side, "Happy birthday, Sascha."

He winced dramatically, "Thanks for the birthday present."

"Anytime, my friend," Tyra replied sarcastically, before going to join Doro and Trigg in conversation.

Sascha figured that completed the list of attendees for tonight's festivities and he walked towards his Master. "Looks like we are all ready to go, Master."

His Master smiled, amused, "Not quite."

He felt his brow furrow in confusion, Doro, Trigg and Tyra were his closest friends, and everyone else that he'd consider a friend was away on a mission. "Who else is coming?"

Aurine squinted, looking down the hallway, "I think I can see her coming now."

Sascha turned to see two feminine figures walking quickly towards them. The shorter of the pair was the easier to identify. She was short and a Togruta, so that pretty much meant it was Nara. Still not sure he believed his eyes, he spoke up, "Nara?"

Nara beamed,"Unless there is another gorgeous purple-skinned Togruta Jedi that I don't know about."

Sascha wouldn't exactly call Nara gorgeous, but he was going to let the comment slide, "I thought you were on a mission."

Nara's Master answered the question, "We were, until about twenty minutes ago. Obviously the Force wants Nara to be able to attend this birthday celebration," Tiplee said in a wry tone of voice.

To be honest, Sascha wasn't exactly sure what species Jedi Knight Tiplee was. What he did know was that Nara's Master was of about average size, had red skin with feathery red hair that seemed to float with the tiny wind currents of the Temple. Her lips, eyes and eyebrows were varying shades of blue and she wore brown and beige Jedi robes. It was a striking mixture of attributes.

He turned to his Master, "I guess we are all here then."

Aurine nodded sharply, "Time to go."

The ten Jedi, five Masters and the five Padawans made their way out of the Jedi Temple and walked to the Coruscant Opera House, openly drawing stares as they moved along. A pair of Jedi could have passed unrecognized on Coruscant, their brown travelers cloaks gave them a level of anonymity, but ten humanoids of any description wearing the same clothes would have drawn looks. And once people realized what they were, the group attracted more then their fair share of odd looks.

Sascha had always hated being gawked at for no other reason than he was a Jedi. It made him feel like he was a freak, or an animal on display. He supposed that the average citizen of Coruscant was just thrilled just to get to see a Jedi in the flesh. Still, some people followed the Jedi, hoping to see them use some of their fabled powers. Those onlookers would be very disappointed today.

"I hate being stared at," Sascha said in a hushed tone.

"It's something you'll get used to," advised Aurine.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," said Nara quietly as she pulled the hood of her cloak around her more tightly . The Togruta's head was on a swivel, looking around at the crowd that was not so subtly gawking at them. "Why couldn't' we just take a speeder?"

"I would think that answer is self-evident," replied Doro in a smug tone, "Your Master wanted to see what your reaction would be to being put on display like this."

Nara groaned, "Master Tiplee, is everything you make me do a test?"

"Yes," replied Tiplee.

The Jedi Knights all grinned at that simple response from Tiplee. Sascha, seeing that Nara was looking a little down on herself, went to her side and nudged her playfully. Nara being Nara, she nudged him right back. They walked a few more steps together in silence before Nara said, "Thanks."

"Anytime, my friend," he responded.

Nara scanned the crowd, seemingly looking at something that was happening in the distance, "Here comes trouble," she said quietly, but loud enough that grouped up Jedi all heard her.

Sascha looked where Nara was looking but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. It looked like every other section of Coruscant they had just walked through, "I don't see it."

Nara smirked, "Thankfully one of us is a Togruta and can use her excellent physical senses to see things that you can't." Nara tapped him on the head, condescendingly, "Poor human with his terrible eyesight."

Sascha was preparing a biting retort when Tiplee saddled up beside the two of them, "What do I always say about bragging, Nara?"

The Togruta sighed, deflated, "That I shouldn't do it."

Tiplee watched as two figures hustled to catch up with the group of Jedi, "Wonderful, the press has discovered us."

"The press?" he said dubiously.

Tiplee nodded sharply, "Yes. Unless I miss my guess, we are about to be greeted by one of the most anti-Jedi journalists on Coruscant, Martis Tyr, and his pugnacious Rodian cameraman."

"You know those two?" he asked

"Oh yeah, we are good friends," Nara said sarcastically.

Tiplee silenced her apprentice with a stern look before she turned to him, "Yes. Nara and I have run into him before. It was not a pleasant encounter. I doubt this will be different."

Sascha was confused why any member of the media would be paying any attention to the group of Jedi. They were just minding their own business, walking through Coruscant. It looked like he would have his answer quickly as Martis and his cameraman started hustling over to the Jedi. As he came into view, Sascha got a good view at the journalist. Martis proved to be a tall, fairly handsome human in his mid-twenties.

The Jedi Knights reacted to the changed circumstances, "Keep walking," Tyra's Master, Teff Nal'ma commanded the Padawans, "And whatever you do, keep _quiet._ "

That was fine with Sascha. He had no intention of ending up on tonight's news broadcast.

Martis and his Rodian cameraman caught up to the group of Jedi and started matching them stride for stride. A tall Rodian with an expensive looking holocam pointed it at the assembled Jedi. "Can we help you?" asked Tiplee, her tone neutral, but pointed.

"Why Tiplee, it's so good to see you again," declared Martis.

A faint snarl appeared on Tiplee's features, probably from being referred to by just her name, instead of Master Jedi or Master Tiplee. "How can I help you, Martis?"

Martis and his cameraman tried to get closer to Sascha and his fellow Padawans, but were subtly blocked off by Arvis and Aurine. Not seeming to mind, Martis continued in a friendly tone, "Well, as one of Coruscant's leading journalists, I was curious as to why ten Jedi are walking towards the entertainment district."

"Our business is our own," chimed in Aurine.

"Ah," said Martis, "Far be it for me to second guess the faultless logic of the Jedi." Somehow, Sascha didn't think that Maris was being one hundred percent serious.

"Still," continued the journalist, "It seems odd that there are enough Jedi around to go on a casual stroll, but yet there was no Jedi present when four members of the Coruscant Security Force were killed while attempting a drug bust today. Surely your time would have been better spent protecting actual citizens of the Republic."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyra's glare at Martis get extra heated. Beside him, Nara was running through a breathing exercise as she worked on not giving an overt reaction. In contrast, Doro and Trigg were ignoring the conversation totally, and seemed totally at peace with doing so.

"It is...unfortunate that four lives were lost today," replied Teff, "My condolences to the families."

"Your condolences," Martis sneered, "How very polite. Why don't you tell these newly widowed Coruscanti why you Jedi had time to saunter on down here, but not enough time to protect upstanding members of the Republic!"

"We Jedi simply cannot be everywhere at once," said Arvis, as the Pantoran stepped towards the camera. "So we do not try to be. We have faith in the citizens of the Republic that they will conduct themselves to the highest of standards."

"Yes, yes, yes, you Jedi are so few in number," said Martis flippantly. "But I wonder why the citizens of the Republic should have faith in the Jedi, when it seems obvious that you place your concerns ahead of their concerns."

"That is not what is happening," continued Arvis in a reasonable tone, "It would have been impossible for anyone, even a Jedi, to predict where and when trouble was occurring. Even if we spared every available Jedi to liaise with police forces across the galaxy, we would only be able to help in the tiniest fraction of cases."

Martis is not dissuaded by that rebuttal, Sascha can tell, "No one is doubting that, Master Jedi," said Martis. "I just wonder why there does not seem to be a middle ground. No one begrudges sending a Jedi to negotiate a peace conference. I just want the so-called guardians of the Republic to spend the rest of their time making life better for ordinary citizens, not just cooped up in their precious Temple where they are no good to anyone. If there had been one Jedi helping the Coruscant Security Force today, I'd bet you there would be four more police officers eating dinner with their families than there currently are."

Sascha finds that logic hard to argue with. And the crowd that is growing around the Jedi seemed to think the same as well. There are murmurs of support when Martis speaks and quiet muttering after one of the Jedi Knights speak. Master Azrah's point about not being able to predict where trouble would occur is a reasonable one, but unsatisfactory. It suggested that doing nothing was more preferable than doing something. And that seemed totally wrong.

"Again," said Azrah, his tone friendly, placating, "I am sorry for those that lost their lives, but it is not the role of a Jedi to be interceding in such events."

Martis' face shows real anger, "And who decides what the role of the Jedi is? Is it not enough that you kidnap children from families across the galaxy and train them in your organization? Must you then insist that those same children are to be of no service to the Republic!"

Teff, his lekku displaying his displeasure, even if the rest of his body does not, stepped forward, "The Jedi have always served the Republic. We continue to serve the Republic. Insinuating that we do anything but that is, quite frankly, appalling."

Martis shrugged languidly, "Forgive me for presenting you with a dissenting opinion. One might think that the Jedi might be insulated from such...dissent."

Arvis subtly elbowed Teff and regained the attention of Martis and his cameraman, "I want to assure the public that we Jedi are well aware of the state of affairs within the Republic. The Jedi Temple is our sanctuary, but our focus always remains outward."

Finally, Sascha thought that the Pantoran had made a salient point. And none too soon, because Sascha was realizing that they were rather close to their destination.

Recognition seemed to dawn on Martis' face as the group approached the Coruscant Opera House. He turned to the group of Jedi with a feral smile on his face. "Ah yes, the Jedi have time to attend a musical dedicated to their Order, but not enough time to actually help people. And you wonder why your Order seems less popular than ever." Statement made, Martis turned smartly and walked away.

Once Martis was out of range, Nara released a long breath, "I don't think that went too well for us," she muttered.

Aurine watched as Martis merged back into the crowd of Coruscanti, "No. It did not."

Having arrived at the Coruscant Opera House half-hour before the doors were to open, the Padawans were given free reign of the one of the galaxy's most famous buildings as their Masters prowled around on security duty.

Despite being given the opportunity to explore one of the most famous buildings in the galaxy, the Padawans all milled about the lobby, quietly. Finally, Tyra broke the silence, "Will someone please tell me why that _sleemo_ reporter isn't right? Why are we here and not helping bring criminals to justice?"

"I think we are supposed to be celebrating my birthday," he remarked coyly.

Tyra shot him a warm smile before returning her attention to the group, "I mean Martis is right, isn't he? How many deaths could we prevent if we had a rotating cast of Jedi helping the Coruscant Security Force? Why don't we do that?"

Doro and Trigg shared a look, "I'm surprised that none of you know the answer to that."

Tyra curtsied insultingly low, "Why don't you spill it then, geniuses."

Trigg turned to him, "Remind me to pay Tyra back for that when we spar next."

"I'll keep a running tally," he joked. "But I'd like to hear the answer."

"We must oblige the birthday boy," drawled Doro. "The answer is quite simple. If we help out with the Coruscant Police, eventually they will become reliant on us. Why try to undertake a risky arrest? Just call the Jedi Temple and have them send a Jedi over. It would fundamentally paralyze the Police, because they'd just be waiting for us to do everything. Over time, the Jedi would become responsible for policing Coruscant, which is a responsibility we do not want."

"Even if we did agree to lend a hand to the CSF," added Trigg, "Every other planet in the Republic will complain that Coruscant gets Jedi helping with their policework, but not them. We'd be accused of favouritism. And they'd have a point. A citizen of the Republic is a citizen of the Republic. Whether they are on Shili or Coruscant."

Nara smiled at the mention of her homeworld, "We Togruta can handle our policing ourselves, thank you very much."

Doro grinned at the Togruta, "There is no doubt about that. I think we meant in general - we Jedi are guardians of the Republic, not a specific world or system."

"So we keep out of affairs such as this merely for pragmatic reasons?" said Sascha.

"Jedi can't appear to be political, or play favourites," said Doro. "We support the Republic, but we are not the Republic. We are Jedi. We play by our own rules."

"That reporter would accuse us of being elitist. Of placing our needs first," he pointed out.

"And he might be right," said Trigg smoothly, "But practically speaking, there isn't a whole lot we can do about it."

"I find it hard to argue with that logic," he said, "Even if I find it unsatisfying."

Doro gave him a friendly smile, "Let's be honest, we don't have to worry about such things. All we have to worry about is how to present ourselves at this musical. I guess we just smile and wave to the crowd?"

"Just don't hurl insults at the performers and you'll be fine," he replied sarcastically.

The Padawans spent the next hour wandering slowly around the Opera House, admiring the opulent setting, while trading barbs back and forth. Eventually, the five of them settled into their seats. Their suite, while apparently one of the 'smaller' ones, seemed quite big to Sascha. The chairs were also extremely comfortable, somehow both plushy and firm at the same time.

Despite the fact that this whole scenario was totally odd, he was going to enjoy being able to see a show at the galaxy famous Coruscant Opera House. While musicals were hardly his favourite genre of music, he was aware that only the best music from across the galaxy was played in these hallowed halls. His friends also seemed reasonably excited too.

Eventually, the lights in the amphitheatre dimmed, signalling the start of the show.

A powerful, booming baritone voice spoke, "The Jedi Order, Guardians of the Republic. For a thousand generations the Jedi have stood for peace, order and justice. The Jedi come from many worlds, many backgrounds, but within the Order itself they are united. In the history of the Republic, the Jedi are often at the forefront, throwing themselves selflessly into our deepest crises, our worst battles. In our most horrible moments, we turn to the Jedi for help, and for over a thousand generations they have responded."

"Few non-Jedi ever set foot in the hallowed halls of the Jedi Temple, and even fewer still get to look inside the private lives of the selfless guardians of the Republic. Yet, for all their seemingly divine gifts, the Jedi Order are made up of beings, beings that have hopes, dreams, ambitions and fears. Tonight, we show you a day in the life of a Jedi Master. A Jedi Master that approaches the end of his life and wonders if he has any more to give the Order he has dedicated his life to…"

Sascha notes that the audience, which had been half paying attention previously, now sits in rapt attention, and even he finds himself under the spell of the event. He reflected briefly, realizing that for as diverse as the crowd is, and he could see about a dozen different species in a quick glance, that many if not most species had a strong oral or musical tradition deep in their primeval pasts, it is no wonder that the theatre retains its power as a place of storytelling.

The mostly Bith orchestra begins to play and the curtain, a relic of a bygone age, raises, revealing the stage. A mournful, elderly looking Gotal, dressed convincingly like a Jedi, shambles to the centre of the stage. In a quite frankly exquisite and tear-jerking opening number, he laments his advanced age and how he feels that time and a new generation of Jedi is passing him by. The young Padawans can all feel the sincerity of the Gotal's strong, vibrant voice. Clearly, the subtext here is that he feels that what he loves – music, and the ability to perform it is passing him by. At the Gotal's advanced age, there are not many more roles for him to play, and quite possibly this will be the last time he gets to do what he loves in the greatest theatre in the galaxy. Viewed with that lens, the performance seems extra heartbreaking.

The next few scenes illustrate how out of touch the 'Jedi Master' has gotten. He teaches a group of Initiates, younglings really, but is caught off guard by their use of language, how words that he had used when he was younger now meant something different. The Initiates poke fun of the Jedi Master's age, in a polite but cutting manner, the way that Sascha remembered Doro and Trigg used to gently mock some of their more intransigent teachers.

As the musical progresses, the Gotal sits and eats lunch, but finds that no one wants to sit and speak with him, and he reminisces painfully that all his friends have gone, either dying in the line of duty or have passed on to become one with the Force, and openly wonders if his time to do the same is coming.

Someone with a lot of knowledge of the Jedi Order has written this, Sascha decides. It hits too close to home, contains far too many accurate guesses to be the work of an outsider. Turning his attention back to the stage as the scene changes again, the old 'Jedi Master' meets a young Twi'lek that looks roughly his own age. She's drop-dead gorgeous in the way female Twi'leks often are, which is what happens when female Twi'leks have been bred for generations to be frivolous playthings, dancers, spoiled princesses, or arm candy. This one though is a rather talented singer, and she comes to the Gotal seeking advice on how to deal with her overly aloof Master.

The Twi'lek is so…heartrendingly earnest in describing her plight, it feels through the Force like she almost wills the audience to sympathize her just by sheer force of believing in it. Sascha realizes that this is a very different way of watching a performance, through the Force he can tell who really is getting into their character and who is merely singing the words…it is an interesting way to watch a live performance. He is truly getting an experience that no one else is getting. The Gotal tries to offer advice to the young woman, but at the end of their quiet fabulous duet, the Twi'lek seems to be as lost as ever.

The next scene features the Gotal and a striking young human male a couple of years older than Sascha. Amused, he notes that both Nara and Tyra are focused on the handsome young man, while they might be Jedi, they are still young women, and he admits to himself that he probably had similar reaction to the stunning Twi'lek.

"What's your name, Padawan?" asks the Gotal,

"Sascha Whitestar, of Sluis Van," the striking young man replies.

Oh _Force_.

Sascha hopes that he misheard the name, or that perhaps he fell asleep and was just dreaming this, but the nudges in the Force from his friends and their obvious amusement tells him he had not been mistaken. He understands at last why he specifically was requested to be in the audience for this performance. This character was supposed to be him!

Sascha struggles to keep the colour from rising to his face, and to not slink into his chair, lest he give the wrong impression to someone that glances in his direction, but he considers finding and setting off a fire alarm just to spare himself from having to sit through this. However, he's trapped and he knows it.

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

The young man playing the role of Sascha Whitestar is a cocky young Jedi about to embark on the trials to become a Jedi Knight, and when the Gotal offers him advice, the brash Padawan blows him off dismissively in what is arguably the high point of the musical so far. The voices of the Gotal and 'Sascha Whitestar' combine artistically and the human has an incredible range, hitting high notes with power and accuracy that the music critic in Sascha appreciates. At the end of the scene, the crowd erupts in an ovation, which his four friends join, each with a hidden smirk for him. Sighing and not wanting to stand out or seem ungrateful, he joins in as well. Realizing that he's clapping for a man that is using his name in a musical, he wonders if he will ever have a more surreal moment in his life.

The start of the second act had the hero at his lowest point, unsure and unwilling to go on, openly wondering if he should find a world to 'retire' to. Then in a formulaic but effective manner, each of the Jedi that interacted with the Gotal throughout the day comes back to see him. Each of them comes to thank the Gotal for his advice.

The musical ended with an impressively elaborate final number involving all the members of the cast. It was somewhat jarring to see all the robed figures, theoretically all of whom were Jedi, singing together, but Sascha played along with the moment and found it to be enjoyable.

The cast came back out to receive their curtain calls to a loud ovation. The most applause went to the star of the show, the elderly Gotal. He was disappointed by the fact that the the second most applause went to his 'counterpart.' Sascha sneered slightly, the singer could play Sascha Whitestar for a few hours, but there was only one real Sascha Whitestar.

Then with the entire cast on stage, the group of 'Jedi' bowed to their real life counterparts. The crowd turned to face the Padawans as well. The cynic in Sascha felt that the ovation dimmed when the cast bowed to the Padawans.

Not exactly sure what the protocol was supposed to be, the five Padawans bowed respectfully as one, then held their hands out back to the cast.

Well, that was an experience, thought Sascha.


	11. Chapter 10: Act Two - Reception

**Sirion Lanor -** The reporter is basically just a mouthpiece for some anti-Jedi arguments. Some people are going to be big fans of the Jedi. Some are not. Most probably don't care. The musical is just a musical - we'll learn in this chapter why there is a character named after Sascha. Thanks for the review, as always.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- I'm actually kind of on Martis' side. The Jedi sit in their Temple too damn much. Spiderman is a hero because he fights all the superpowered heroes, but he stops ordinary crime too. The Jedi see themselves as above that, I suppose. I kind of wanted to show that there is some anti-Jedi sentiment even before the Clone Wars, because it seems to kind of emerge from nowhere. And yeah, poor Sascha. He just wanted a nice, normal birthday party! Jedi don't exactly do 'normal' though.

 **IonTheChosenOne -** Aurine is non-canon. There was one canon character in that last chapter, and that is Tiplee - she appears in season 6 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. We'll see a bit more of her in the next book. Thank you very much for the compliment. Thanks for reading!

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** I definitely included the Temple Guard because of _Rebels_. That's a good point about it is why the CIA doesn't involve itself in local police actions. But if you were a citizen of Coruscant, you might wonder why the high and mighty Jedi are always within their little Temple and not helping out the Republic. Glad you enjoyed the musical, I always thought that being an old Jedi must kind of suck. You still have awesome powers, but your body just begins to fail you. And yeah, Tyra, still crushing (sigh).

A/N - Please excuse any editing mistakes this chapter may contain, didn't get to edit it for as long as I would have liked.

Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 10: How to Embarrass a Padawan, an Evening in Several Acts. Act Two: Reception**

As the show ended, the Padawans weren't entirely clear on what to do next, and they sort of milled around their suite aimlessly. Tyra was the first to speak,"I told Master Nal'ma that I'd meet him after the show at the front entrance, and I think he was with Master Tiplee, so let's go Nara."

Nara looked confused, "Uh, okay. Bye Sascha." Tyra led the Togruta out of the suite, leaving him alone with Trigg and Doro.

"Um, did our Masters forget to tell us where to meet them afterward?" asked Trigg.

"Probably just Tyra making a good excuse to leave," replied Doro.

"I guess we could follow her," said Sascha without conviction. Why hadn't Aurine told him what to do after the event ended? It seemed like an oversight.

Before he could pull out his comlink and contact his Master, a Nautolan dressed in official looking clothes entered their suite and bowed politely, "Master Jedi, on behalf of Kant Pesqui, who brought this show to Coruscant, I'd like to invite you to our official reception, you would greatly honor us with your presence."

The three Jedi shared a glance, not sure what the best course of action was. Finally Sascha decided that someone should speak, "We'd be pleased to attend, though I do not know how long we can stay."

The Nautolan nodded and led the Jedi from their suite. Sascha knew that if his Master was looking for him that she would probably look for him in their suite, so while he followed the Nautolan, he sent a sort of mental summons to his Master through the Force, trying to let her know that he would not be there. He could have used his comlink, but opted for the more subtle approach.

The three Padawans were brought to a large and lavishly furnished ballroom, where wealthy Coruscanti all milled around dressed in their finest clothes. The three humbly dressed Jedi Padawans stood, at a loss of what to do. "We just blend right in," Trigg muttered.

"I guess we just make the best of it," Sascha said with more good cheer than he felt.

"Somehow I don't think the star of the musical gets to blend in," said Doro.

Sascha grimaced, "Is there any way I can bribe you to forget that one of the characters was named after me?"

"I don't think Jedi are supposed to take bribes," said Doro, grinning.

He sighed dramatically. He was sure that Doro and Tigg weren't going to let him forget about this...for about the rest of his life. Awesome.

Trigg glanced around the opulent ballroom, "So, what is the plan here? Pretend we are part of the musical? Be ourselves?"

Doro let out a long breath, "No, I guess we treat this like its a diplomatic function, and walk around introducing ourselves and talking to people. Such a great _party_ this is Sascha."

"Take any complaints you have about the venue to the person who planned this little event," he said petulantly. He had thought that this night out was supposed to be a reward, but the further on the night went, the more annoyed he was getting.

Trigg puffed himself up, "Right, Tyra abandoned us and took the little scamp, so it's up to us men to make a good impression. Maybe if we do well, some businessman will by us a Starfighter when we are older."

Sascha enjoyed it when Trigg took on the responsibility for the group, but would never stop needling him about it, "Sir, yes sir!" he said, striking a military pose, "Engaging 'act normal' protocol."

"See, that's the spirit," Trigg said to Doro, as Sascha walked towards the crowd.

Being a Jedi in public took some getting used to. Some people would openly stare at you, which Sascha never really understood. Besides the clothing and lightsaber that marked him as a Jedi, Sascha Whitestar was a perfectly average looking human male, yet some people stared at him as if he was some sort of freak. Most were too polite to stare openly, but they would gawk at him when his back was turned to them. It was annoying to say the least. Some people wanted to test a Jedi, to see if they could make him angry, or to see if they would lift some rocks for them, all in all, they wanted proof that he was a Jedi, not someone just dressed like one. And some, the people he liked talking to, were those that treated him as a normal person.

He had been trained laboriously about the rules for being a Jedi in public. Always be polite, never lie, respect your Master, never contradict your Master, and speak like you are speaking for the Jedi Council at all times. Then then we wonder why our Masters don't let us out much, thought Sascha to himself with an inner smile.

He made his way towards a gathering of Bith musicians, complimenting them on a fine performance. Being a musician was vaguely like being a Jedi, you practiced your entire life to do one thing, and when you came right down to it, no one gave you much credit. For a musical, credit went to the singers, not the backing musicians, just like when a Jedi helped negotiate a peace treaty, it was always Politician 'A' or Foreign Minister 'B' that took the credit, while the Jedi who put in all the leg work might be noted by a historian, but probably not.

The Bith musicians were pleasant enough company, they were clearly honored that a Jedi had chosen to notice them. Sascha knew from his few experiences in dealing with the public that compliments from a Jedi went a long way, and it often prevented a question that he very much dreaded, 'what's it like being a Jedi?' The question was both perfectly logical and completely inane, it was like asking him what it was like being a human. What was it like being a Jedi? Sascha didn't know, it wasn't like he could just stop being a Jedi for a few moments and then compare the experiences, he simply was a Jedi. None of the Biths asked that question though, mostly they asked him polite questions about whether or not he enjoyed the musical.

He was about to ask a another question when a rippling of applause came through the crowd. Sascha thought that this might have signalled the entrance of an important person, Sascha was too far away to see exactly who it might be…he wondered if it was perhaps Chancellor Valorum? The Chancellor had a long history of attending events at this particular institution.

An amplified voice spoke, "Please friends, don't clap for me, I'm merely the talent scout. The real credit goes to the hard working musicians and singers that brought that show to life." Ah, thought Sascha, not Chancellor Valorum. The voice continued, "I want to give special attention to a person this theater knows well, Valix Gornt, the elder statesman of musical theater, a man who refuses to go silently into that good night – and why should he with a voice like his!"

The crowd finally parts enough for him to see a tall, elderly Gotal join a flamboyantly dressed human at the front of the ballroom. Sascha joins in with the applause for the Gotal, in his opinion he had been the best part of the show. The flamboyantly dressed man continues, once the applause died down, "And I think we know that this young man has a bright future, today was his first performance at the Coruscant Opera House and I think I speak for all of us when I say that this was just the first of many. Ladies and Gentlemen, Gardeth Weims!"

The applause for the man that played 'Sascha Whitestar' is loud, rapturous almost. Gardeth saunters beside the other human, a large smile on his face as he waves to his adoring public. Sascha rolled his eyes, annoyed at this over the top celebration.

Sascha waited for the human to introduce the rest of the cast, but it was not to be. Sascha shrugged slightly. He would have liked to have seen that beautiful Twi'lek again. And to be honest, he thought that she was a better singer than Gardeth 'Sascha Whitestar' Weims.

As the ballroom returns to its familiar din of conversation, he noticed that Doro and Trigg were no longer in evidence. He cursed under his breath, maybe this had all been a test. Well, if it had been Sascha had clearly failed. He wasn't even sure what this test was!

He was spared from dwelling on that cheerful thought by the appearance of his Master, who wandered over to him slowly. He quickly strode over to her side, "Glad you could make it, Master, we're the only ones left, so can we please make our escape?"

Aurine is about to respond when she is interrupted by a loud shout of, "Master Jedi!" Sascha and Aurine turn toward the direction of the voice. The voice belongs to the man that had spoken earlier. He is a middle aged, flamboyantly dressed, and can seemingly not stand still for a second, he's always moving, his long black hair bobs around like it has a mind of its own. "Why you must be Sascha Whitestar," the man says grabbing and pumping his hand in a firm handshake, "I'm so glad you could make it tonight, did you enjoy the show?"

"I am Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar, and you must Kant Pesqui," Sascha hazarded a guess.

"Yes, yes, but I am of no importance," he said, putting an arm around the Padawan before he can react. "I want you to meet Gardeth Weims, I know it must be odd to have someone with your name on stage, but we felt it would add an extra layer of authenticity to have all our characters all named after actual Jedi." Sascha would rather have joined the cleaning staff for the night then have a conversation with a person that had appropriated his name, but when he turns to his Master for support, she only smirked at him. He wondered why his Master is not sparing him from something that he obviously doesn't want to do.

Before he can manage to come up with an appropriate excuse to get out of meeting Gardeth Weims, he finds himself standing in front of the man himself. Gardeth Weims resembled Sascha in only a couple of ways, he has Sascha's pale skin colour and his dark brown hair, past that they might as well be opposites. He is short and pretty unremarkable looking. Gardeth on the other hand is tall and if his musical career doesn't work out, he could easily transition into a career in modelling. Judging by the mostly female crowd that surrounds him, he already has his share of admirers.

"Gardeth Weims, please meet Sascha Whitestar. Sascha, meet Gardeth Weims," said Kant before the businessman is distracted by another conversation.

Sascha offered his hand to the taller man, and Gardeth shakes it with seeming reluctance. Gardeth's cool grey eyes evaluate him, "Padawan Whitestar, I am honored to meet you, you've been quite an inspiration to me," Gardeth said with a distinct lack of emotion.

Such a charmer, Sascha thinks, "It's a pleasure to meet you Padawan Whitestar, I mean Gardeth Weims," Sascha said with a false smile plastered on his face. "I always wanted to meet myself. I seem to have gotten a bit taller."

Gardeth looks around at the small group of young women obviously vying for his attention, "Maybe is this a bit uncouth of me, but aren't you a bit short for a Jedi?"

The crowd laughs at Gardeth's joke, and by extension at him. Sascha attempted to keep his hands from clenching into fists. He isn't entirely successful. "Jedi come in all shapes in sizes," he said rather lamely.

"Ah yes," nods Gardeth sagely. Gardeth leans in close and speaks quieter, "Now, I saw a couple of cute female Jedi in the suite with you – do you think you could introduce them to me? I'd like to study them in private...you know for research purposes."

Anger boils within him, and it takes all of his composure not to bring his knee right into Gardeth's crotch. "I assure you that they can do much better than you, Gardeth," he said, shoving the man lightly.

Gardeth smirked, obviously amused that he has been able to make Sascha lose his cool. "Well that's too bad youngling. Anyway, I have more important people to talk to," Gardeth said, dismissing the Padawan with a flick of his hand. Gardeth turned his back to him and immediately involved himself in conversation with a rather comely young Zeltron.

Sascha is so angry at the moment that he can barely see straight. He turns and stalked away angrily, not caring if he makes a scene; he just wants to get away from his impersonator. His thoughts are dominated by the idea of punching Gardeth right in his smug face. Where were Doro and Trigg when you needed them? Finally they had a worthy target for their pranks and now they were gone.

As he stalked through the crowd, he is stopped by someone who grabbed at his arm. "What!" he shouted.

As he turned, he saw that the person who had grabbed at his arm was the lovely young Twi'lek from the musical, "Hey there. Slow down before you run someone over."

"Sorry, I just need to not be here right now," he said.

Yet when he tried to get past the Twi'lek, she moved to stand directly in his way, "I saw you talked to Gardeth. Now you know what I know, that he's a jerk with an ego the size of a starship."

Sascha is still not exactly looking for a conversation right now. Right now, he needs somewhere to vent his anger, "Yeah, he's a real tribute to the name Sascha Whitestar, a name that I'm pretty sure was spotless until his musical happened."

The lithe, blue-skinned Twi'lek puts a hand on her chin, "Yet, I can't decide who is a bigger jerk right now. You, or him."

"What!"

"You just about ran me over, in case you didn't notice," said the Twi'lek.

"I didn't notice...sorry," he said.

"You're the real Sascha Whitestar, aren't you?" she asked inquisitively.

"It depends what you means by 'real' Sascha Whitestar, if you get confused, he's the handsome one, I'm the one that can lift rocks with his mind," he replied, deadpan.

The Twi'lek smiled and took a sip of her drink, which was an exotic yellow drink in a tall glass, "So which one of you do I want beside me if I get in a fight?"

"Gardeth. People will throw themselves in front of punches just to preserve his pretty face."

The young Twi'lek grinned, and took another a long sip of her drink, "Don't let Gardeth get under your skin," she said. "He's not worth it."

Sascha rubbed his face, taking a deep cleansing breath. It helped take away some of the anger he was still feeling. "Sorry. I should properly introduce myself. I am Sascha Whitestar of Sluis Van, despite what that musical may have told you."

The Twi'lek curtsied politely, keeping her drink elevated so it does not spill, "I'm Ezah Resel."

"I enjoyed your part in the musical," he offered.

The Twi'lek smiled a bit shyly, "Thank you, that is praise indeed from a real Jedi. I don't get much praise these days. It also seems to go to Valix Gornt, and Gardeth. Valix deserves it. Gardeth does not." The Twi'lek shrugged, "But really its fine with me, I never loved the spotlight much myself. I sing because I love it."

"I think Gardeth loves the spotlight more than singing," he speculated.

Ezah nods, "The two things Gardeth love are fame and women."

"I guess they cast me perfectly then," he replied sardonically.

Ezah laughed loudly, "Ah, don't worry about it. It's just a name." The Twi'lek cocked her head to the side, "I must know, what did you like about my performance?"

"You were honest, you believed in what you were singing, unlike someone people I could name," he said bitterly. Realizing how petulant he was sounding, he tried to purge the bitterness he was feeling, but was finding it difficult to do so.

"Making friends, are we Sascha?" said Master Brynar strolling over to join their conversation.

"You must be Sascha's Master, a pleasure to meet you, Master Jedi," said Ezah, a picture of politeness.

"You act more like a Padawan than some actual Padawans I could name," said Aurine, a hint of a rebuke in her voice. He looked down, stung by her comment and knew that she was right.

"Excuse my Padawan and I for a second," Aurine said politely.

"It was nice to meet you, Sascha," said Ezah. The Twi'lek headed towards a bar that had been set up, somehow maintaining an amount of anonymity despite her status as one of the stars of the performance.

After gaining a bit of privacy in the crowded ballroom, Aurine looked down at him, "I'm disappointed in you, Padawan. How is it that you are so polite in the Temple, but you are unable to swallow your pride for five minutes outside of it? Do you even realize you that were making a scene?"

"They used my name!" said Sascha a bit louder than he wanted to, "Then the actor who was playing 'me' insulted me and my friends, so yeah, you can say that I'm a bit upset at the moment." He stopped to consider for a second, something was not adding up, "You knew that one of the characters was named after me…this was a test. You knew this would happen."

"Yes this was a test," said Aurine. "And you have failed it utterly."

His Master's words feel like a painful stake being driven into his heart. He hated failing his Master, but he refused to let himself be dragged into feeling self-pity. He bowed his head politely, "I am sorry, Master…I don't know why this has affected me this way, I'll spend some time meditating on it," he promised earnestly.

Aurine nodded, "You will, but first you will do penance. When I spoke to Kant Pasqui, I learned that it is tradition for the younger cast members to go out for drinks and dancing as a group after their first performance on a new planet. I want you to go with them."

"Master?"

His Master is frustrated, he can tell by her presence in the Force, but her body posture remains calm, polite. He hoped that he'd be able to develop similar control when he got older. "Sascha, if you had not been so caught up in your anger and bitterness over your name being used you should have been able to sense a small disturbance in the Force surrounding the young Twi'lek over there. Open yourself up to the Force and tell me what you feel."

He closed his eyes, first carefully purging his built up emotions and then centering himself in the Force. Then he expanded his awareness, just so that it envelops the room. He can sense the emotions in the room as they swirl around, there does not seem to be much out of place, most of the beings in the room are in a good mood having either experienced or put on a top rate performance. He's about to close down and return to full awareness of himself when he notes a small disturbance that seems to envelop Ezah Resel. A disturbance in the Force was something like a beacon, telling a Jedi that something is…off. Better Jedi could get more specific in detecting what sort of event the disturbance was foreshadowing, but he had never been good at that.

Sascha frowned, "It's a very minor disturbance Master."

"Yes, it is," Aurine agreed. "I doubt that Ezah is in deadly danger or anything like that, but something...interesting is sure to happen to her tonight. This will be your mission, Padawan, blend in with the cast and make sure they come to no harm. You may even enjoy yourself, after all it is your birthday, but your primary task is their safety."

"How do I fit in with the cast? I didn't pack any civilian clothing," he asked.

"Figure it out Sascha, don't make me more disappointed in you than I currently am," said an exasperated Aurine. "See them home safely and I'll see you in the morning, my comlink will be on if you need me." She looked him straight in the eye, "I am rebuking you and trusting you at the same time Sascha, show me that my trust is not misplaced."

The young Jedi could sense that he was perilously close to damaging the goodwill and trust that he had built up with her over his apprenticeship. He also knew that she had a point, if he could not be trusted to act properly in these rather controlled circumstances, she might not want to risk taking him on a mission, lest he imperil it in some way. To a Padawan, being left behind at the Temple while their Master went on a mission was almost a fate worse than death, it was very public, very obvious rebuke that told their fellow Jedi that their Master did not trust them enough to take them on a mission with them.

He was not going to let that happen.

"Yes, Master, I'll see that they are the safest young men and women on Coruscant this evening," he said solemnly.

Aurine gave him a reassuring smile, "Good, then let me give you your cover story and then I'll be off."

The two Jedi find Kant Pesqui and Ezah Resel chatting casually, the Twi'lek sips another exotic looking concoction languidly while laughing at a story the businessman is telling.

After the story ends, Aurine bowed politely to Kant and Ezah, "I would like to reward the cast and crew of this fine production. "I'd like to offer the services of my Padawan for the night, he can be an invaluable source of information for the cast. Plus," she shrugged, "It's Coruscant, you never really can be too safe, can you?"

Kant Pesqui looked delighted, almost bouncing in happiness, "That sounds like a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Jedi, and it is so thoughtful of you to offer to protect my dear cast members, if only for a night. Truth be told I fretted about the dangers of Coruscant, but the price of bodyguards is just so high."

"I work for free, sir," he said politely.

"Yes, and I'm sure a Jedi Padawan will outperform a hired thug as well," commented Kant with a smile.

He normally would have smirked at that compliment, but he's trying very hard to get back in his Master's good graces and he's going to do that by playing the perfect Padawan that he normally is, so he merely nods.

"Most of the cast was about to head back to our hotel," said Ezah, "If Padawan Whitestar is coming along for the night, I'll make sure he ends up in the right place." Aurine and Kant nod in approval, with his Master giving him a last stern glance before taking her leave.

The Twi'lek places a delicate finger on her chin for a second, "I've never had a bodyguard, and certainly not a Jedi bodyguard…do I get to order you around?"

He smirked at her good-naturedly, "Only my Master gets to order me around…but I might take suggestions." He liked Ezah, probably partially because of her good looks, he's rational enough to admit, but partially because she seems to treat him like a normal person who just happens to be a Jedi…it is a rarity that he appreciates.

"Okay then I _suggest_ you follow me, Master Jedi." He suppresses a smile and follows the young Twi'lek out of the ballroom and into the Coruscant night.


	12. Chapter 11: Act Three - Excursion

**7doom-** I knew that I wanted to do an arc where Sascha kind of loses his cool, but its actually pretty hard to do that in a way that doesn't feel forced or inauthentic. I always try to make Sascha feel somewhat 'normal' though he's going to have a rude awakening, finding out that he is certainly not normal.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- I kind of gave away that this was a test earlier in the previous chapter when Nara asked if everything was a test and Tiplee said 'yes.' Sascha is kind of going to take the moral high ground with Gardeth. He's unbelievably annoyed with him, but he knows that he messed up. Plus he's got attractive Twi'lek friends now...

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** For the first time (I think), you've totally misjudged where I'm going with these chapters. These next chapters are Sascha chapters, so basically I need everyone else to leave - honestly we aren't going to see Nara for the rest of the book. You are right that Aurine comes off a tad harsh, but there is a bit of reasoning behind that - the obvious is that she's not thrilled that her Padawan (who is generally such a nice young man) has lost his cool so easily. But Sascha's 'punishment' is freedom for the rest of the night, so is he really being punished (or is he being tested...)

A/N - So, for those of you who are watching Star Wars Rebels, this Wednesday is the season finale, and if...certain things happen that I think might happen, I may be rendered catatonic, so while I promise that I will post a chapter, I can't promise how good a shape it will be in.

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 11: How to Embarrass a Padawan, an Evening in Several Acts. Act Three: Excursion**

A life of a Jedi was one that was bound to be full of surprises, that was something Sascha had always expected. Still, he was pretty surprised to be sitting in the lobby of a posh hotel, waiting for a cast of a musical to freshen up, so that they all could go out drinking around carousing. Well, he wasn't going to be carousing, he was a de facto bodyguard. For neither the first, nor likely the last time, he realized what a strange life that he leads.

Ezah had introduced him to the rest of the cast as their 'protector' for the night. The cast had treated him with a mixture of interest and boredom, Sascha might have been surprised, given they had just performed a musical ostensibly dedicated to the Jedi, but he didn't spend much time thinking about it. Most of the older cast members including the Gotal, Valix Gornt, retired to their rooms for the night. The younger members of the cast, on the other hand, were all looking forward to a night out in Coruscant's famous entertainment district. The generous Kant Pesqui had reserved them a private room for the cast to use at one of Coruscant's trendiest night clubs.

Sascha was relieved to see that the first cast member to return from her room was Ezah. The Twi'lek had changed her attire. Instead of dressing up for a night on the town, she dressed casually, a modest tunic and pants her chosen attire, the artful decorations that adorn her lekku being the only indication she's anything more than a typically broke student.

The Twi'lek joined him on the couch, sitting beside the young Jedi, "The rest of the cast is going to be awhile, everyone is just so excited to be on the Galactic Capital, that they're going to spend an hour getting their hair just right. Hair…what a silly evolution, I mean lekku are clearly superior," Ezah tossed one of her head-tails impishly, coiling it around her neck.

"Fashion is a bit beyond me," admitted the Jedi, "Thankfully my fashion choices are limited to copies of this same robe and my brown cloak. At least it saves a lot of time in the morning."

"Well you've got this awful looking braid with ribbons tied in your hair, now _that_ is a fashion choice, Master Jedi."

"Hey, no mocking the Padawan braid," he said with an easy smile.

"You got assigned this little mission as a test didn't you," asked Ezah carefully.

"Part punishment, part test," admitted the Padawan. "How did you know?"

Ezah shrugged, "I do research so that I can get into my roles, so I tried to learn as much as I could about being a Jedi. I won't even claim to even have a partial understanding of what your life has been like, but I know that you weren't exactly acting like a good Jedi at the reception."

"Yeah. Tonight has not been my finest night for sure."

A long silence stretched between the pair. Sascha racked his brain, trying to figure out what he's supposed to say. Does he complement her clothes? Ezah certainly looks very pretty. But perhaps that was too forward. He was a Jedi and supposed to be beyond such trivial things.

Ezah smiled, and stretched her limbs languidly, "I guess they don't teach Jedi how to make small talk."

"It seems to have not been included in the curriculum," he agreed.

"Funny, most famous people know how to make polite conversation. And you, Sascha Whitestar, are apparently quite famous. I searched your name on my datapad while I was in my room and my 'pad just about exploded because there were so many results to my search."

Sascha closed his eyes. Of all the potential things to talk about, this was one subject that he certainly didn't want to talk about. "I know," he said curtly.

Ezah tilted her head to the side, "It sounds like I've struck a nerve."

He sighed, "I don't deserve to be famous. I happened to be born a Jedi on Sluis Van. That is why I'm famous. It's just so...dumb, I hate it. I haven't done anything to deserve any sort of adulation."

Ezah cocked her head inquisitively, "So this video of you defending Senator Kuat at some sort of banquet is fake?"

Sascha didn't even look at Ezah's datapad. He'd seen the video enough times already. "No, it's not fake."

"So weren't you risking your life to protect the Senator?" prodded Ezah gently. "Sounds pretty heroic to me. Someone perhaps worthy of being famous."

"I just...I don't know."

Ezah made a subtle hand gesture with her left hand, "You will tell me why this bothers you."

He frowned, "Did you just try to use a Jedi mind trick...against a Jedi?"

Ezah smiled confidently, "I think it is working."

Sascha laughed at Ezah's audacity, "Do you really want to know why this bothers me?"

The Twi'lek's face became more serious, "Yes. As someone who is very mildly famous, I might be able to help you."

"Do you even know why I'm famous?" he asked.

Ezah shrugged, "Something about being from Sluis Van. But you are the oddest looking Sluissi I've ever met," she said drolly.

"Pretty sure I'm one hundred percent human," he replied sarcastically. "But do you know anything about the history of Sluis Van?"

"I can't say I do," admitted Ezah.

"Well, a long time ago, when the Republic was first forming, the Sluissi were on Sluis Van, as you'd expect, but they had been enslaved by a powerful coalition of gangsters. As fate would have it, a single Jedi happened along and was shot down by the gangsters. Once he saw how the Sluissi population had been enslaved by these brutes and he worked tirelessly to get the Sluissi to resist to rebel against their oppressors. Finally with his leadership and otherworldly powers, the Sluissi stood a chance."

"And he was successful?"

"No. He died horribly."

Ezah's eyes widened in shock, "You are kidding me."

"I wish I was," he replied. "Yet the death of the hero of Sluis Van galvanized the Sluissi. Legend says that the first Jedi had trained an apprentice. A Sluissi apprentice. This apprentice picked up the fallen Jedi's lightsaber, and lead the Sluissi to victory. In effect, the Jedi freed the Sluissi people from slavery." He closed his eyes, "So you can see why the Sluissi worship the Jedi. Our order was literally the salvation of their planet. So it should be no surprise that any Jedi that is born on Sluis Van is instantly a celebrity. Even a human like me."

Ezah leaned back, into the couch, "Interesting story. Thanks for the history lesson. But I still don't see why you are so offended by being famous. All the articles I read on you were profoundly respectful. The Sluissi public quite like you."

He sighed, "I know it could be much worse, but I always felt pressured by the weight of expectations on me. I wanted to be this great Jedi that would make my home planet proud...but the truth was that I am a below average Jedi."

Ezah put her hands in her lap, "You know that none of us mere mortals can tell the difference between a below average Jedi and a great Jedi right?"

"Yes, but _I_ know that I'm average," he said.

The Twi'lek looked at the ceiling for a second and then stared directly into his eyes, "Look, I'm going to tell you something that you should probably have already figured out. You don't owe anything to anyone. You have to live your life for _you_. If you try to live up to the expectations that everyone else has of you, you'll never find peace, you'll never be happy. You know how many people told me that I couldn't be a singer because I was a Twi'lek? Probably hundreds of people. If I had listened to them, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be having the time of my life." Ezah paused, "Do you love being a Jedi?"

"Its uh, kind of the only thing I know," he admitted.

Ezah rubbed her face gently, "Look, I'm not trying to make you leave the Jedi Order or anything. But you can't burden yourself with the idea that you have to do this or that because the people of Sluis Van would be disappointed if you did. They don't get to live your life. But you do."

"That was...quite a speech," said Sascha.

Some colour entered Ezah's face, "Yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay, it was a good speech. I'll think more about it, later."

"Can I ask you a question?" inquired Ezah.

"Sure."

"Have you ever kissed a girl?"

Sascha half-rose from his seat on the couch,"What! No."

Ezah held up a hand to calm him down, "Here's a better question that gets to my point. How many times have you left the Jedi Temple?"

He considered the question for a moment, "I don't know, like thirty times?"

The Twi'lek stared at him in disbelief, "Thirty times? You are sixteen years old, and you've left your home thirty times, in total?"

He stammered, a little embarrassed, "I mean the Jedi Temple is a huge place. It's not like I was kept inside a tiny room for sixteen years."

Ezah heaved a huge sigh, "So you've never taken a day off and just wandered around the planet? Had an entire day where you just watched the Holonet?"

"No? I don't even know what you are getting at," he said, feeling more than a little defensive.

She sighed again, "I guess I just wish Jedi grew up a little more normal. It was something that stood out to me when I was researching my role"

"I am normal," he said, confused.

Ezah looked down and away from him, "Of course you are. I don't want to suggest otherwise," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

A long silence stretched. Sascha had no idea what to talk with Ezah about, and her last insinuation, that he wasn't normal, was bothering him. Of course he was normal! He had hobbies and interests – sure he was a Jedi, but he could fit in with people his age if given the chance. I mean...wasn't that what he was doing right now?

"I wasn't born a slave," said Ezah in a total non-sequitur.

"What?"

"I wasn't born into slavery," the Twi'lek repeated patiently.

"I...wondered about that," he said honestly. It wasn't uncommon for Twi'leks, especially female Twi'leks like Ezah to be sold at shockingly young ages. While he technically understood why such actions were allowed within the borders of the Republic, he still found it to be profoundly weird.

Ezah grimaced, "Everyone wants to ask, but most beings are polite enough not to broach the subject. Everyone wonders if Kant Pesqui found me in some cave on Ryloth and bought me for whatever the going price is for female Twi'leks is these days. But no, I was born a free Twi'lek on Commenor."

Sascha wondered why she is telling him something so personal right now. He uses the Force to lightly probe the Twi'lek's feelings, she's sad…lonely even. "I'm sure your parents are very proud of you," he said, guessing at why she might be feeling lonely on this evening.

The Twi'lek's mouth twitched briefly, "I know. The first time I ever sung in front of an audience, I was eight, it was a tiny part, just two lines, but my Dad went to every performance, just to hear me sing my two lines. It breaks his heart that he can't attend every performance of mine, though I'm sure he watched tonight's performance over the Holonet."

"That sounds like a perfect father," he said with a smile.

"He has his flaws but I never doubt that he loves me or my mother with all his heart." Ezah shook her head vehemently, sending her lekku bouncing wildly, "I'm such an idiot, talking about parents with a Jedi, you never even knew your parents, did you?"

"No, I have some very vague memories of them, but that's about it." He looked away, "I wonder if they look on the Holonet for me, if they have an alert for whenever my name is mentioned, or if they tried to forget about me completely."

"I'm sorry for bringing the subject up…I don't know, I just wanted something to talk about," Ezah held her head in her hands, "I am such an idiot sometimes."

"I don't mind Ezah," said Sascha softly, "It's one of those things we never talk about with other Jedi. It's like we all made a pact to never broach the subject. Officially, I have parents, but I couldn't even tell your their names. Unofficially my parents are the Jedi Order and I have ten thousand siblings. It's a lot easier to think of it in those terms, but in my weaker moments, I wonder…I wonder if they remember that today is my birthday," he said sadly, forcing himself to take a deep, calming breath. The last thing he wants to do is burst out in tears in front of this stranger. If the Jedi had any mystique left, he was pretty sure that would ruin what was left of it.

Another long silence persisted between the pair, which was interrupted by Ezah throwing her hands up in the air, "I really am the worst hostess ever, let's talk about something less depressing, I wonder – how accurate was the musical?"

He very much appreciated the change in subject, "Very accurate, I'd bet that whoever wrote the musical was a former member of our Order, the situations portrayed were just too realistic."

Ezah seemed confused, "I wasn't aware that you could leave the Jedi Order."

"We aren't held in the Order against our will, neither are we brainwashed into staying. Some Initiates are asked to leave if they cannot keep up with the curriculum, academic or otherwise, some Initiates are dismissed for being unable to control their emotions. If an Initiate does not pass the Initiate trials, they are discharged. Even if an Initiate passes the Initiate trials, but they fail to find a Master to take them as a Padawan, they may be sent to the agricultural or medical corps – if they refuse that assignment, they leave the Order." He shrugged, "I suppose that I could just resign as well, I'm certainly not prohibited from doing so, though I'd have to hand over my lightsaber first… they don't want ex-Jedi running around with one of the most obvious symbols of being a Jedi."

"Do you ever think about leaving?"

"I did at one point – it took me a long time to find a Master to take me as a Padawan, but now that I am a Padawan, I couldn't imagine leaving."

"Interesting," Ezah said, looking around at the increasing number of people gathering in the lobby, "Well it looks like everyone is here, except for Prince Weims…that's what we call Gardeth…we don't like him very much."

"Can't imagine why that would be," Sascha said sarcastically.

Gardeth meanders into the lobby a few moments later, his hair perfectly coiffed, an attractive young Zeltron on his arm, "Only one floozy tonight, must be an off night for him," Ezah remarked bitterly. She stood up from the couch, "Come on bodyguard, let's get going."

There are ten members of their little group, including him. As they make their way to their destination, Sascha engages in polite small talk, even trying his best to answer the dreaded, 'what is it like being a Jedi' question without sighing overtly. As they approached the glittering building that was apparently their destination, Gardeth finally breaks away from his conversation with his Zeltron friend, to glare pointedly at Sascha, "How are you going to get your laser-sword through security, Padawan?"

Sascha noted that by the front entrance there were a pair of security guards, a bored looking Weequay and a towering Houk that were monitoring a machine that scanned entrants for weapons. Though a lightsaber was hardly a typical weapon, he was pretty sure it would set off the detector.

A short, black-eyed Bith that was part of their group looked at him with interest, and Sascha can almost read the Bith's mind - how would the Jedi overcome this obstacle? Would he announce himself as a Jedi and strut in? Would he use a Jedi mind trick on the unsuspecting security guard?

He smiled to himself, having already come up with a plan for this eventuality. No, the answer was much more mundane.

He nudged Ezah forward, he needed someone to go first and the Twi'lek is likely to play along with him. "This must be the Jedi musical, judging by the look of your friend here." The Weequay points at him, the only person in the group that is wearing the clothes of a Jedi, everyone else is dressed appropriately for a night out.

He looked downward, "I lost a bet okay. I'm just living up to the terms of the deal, I have to wear these clothes for the rest of the night," he said in the tone of a defeated man.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the Weequay smirk at him, "Line-up and go through the scanner one at a time."

Ezah went through the scanner without a problem. Once she was past him, she looked back at him somewhat worriedly.

Sascha walked through the scanner, his lightsaber on his hip, and as he expects, the scanner buzzes loudly. The Weequay and the hulking Houk snap to attention. He holds his arms out in a non-threatening manner, and the Weequay notices the lightsaber on his hip, "Is that…a lightsaber?"

Sascha feigns embarrassment, "Oh…I was wondering why the scanner went off…it's a prop from the musical, here." Sascha hands his lightsaber to the Weequay, flicking the internal master breaker into the off position with the Force, "You can have it, I just need it back at the end of the night."

The Weequay looks at the small cylinder, holding it well away from him and pressing every button he can find on the hilt. He looks down at Sascha, who is meekly looking down at the floor, just a small, skinny human in a brown cloak, not a threat at all. The security guard shrugs, "It's not a weapon as far as I can see, just don't bludgeon anyone with it, youngling."

He planted a shocked expression on his face, "I wouldn't dare! If I break it, the cost of the prop comes out of my pay." Mollified, the Weequay hands the Jedi back his lightsaber. And Sascha hadn't used the Force at all.

The other cast and crew seem entertained, convinced that they had just watched a Jedi using a Jedi-mind trick to convince the security guards to let him in with his weapon. The simple truth was it was often a lot easier just to not use the Force, and play the part of the small, average looking sixteen year old. No one in their right mind would think that he was a Jedi, after all there were only around ten thousand Jedi, and they were mostly scattered across the galaxy dealing with the worst the galaxy could offer. Certainly the odds of a Jedi being at a club in the Entertainment District of Coruscant were astronomically low. But not zero, Sascha grinned to himself, placing his lightsaber back in its proper place on his belt.

The group came from the entrance into the main section of the club, all dazzling lights and loud, pounding music. Holy _kriff_ the music was loud, Sascha thought. He could feel the bass through his well-worn boots. Quickly he used a Force technique to dull the roar of the music. Sascha liked his music loud, but this was absurd.

While the group filed past him, he stood transfixed by the young people of various species dancing on the dance floor set up in the middle of the large room. The dancers were moving wildly, they were coordinated, but not moving in any sort of pattern that Sascha recognized. It was spontaneous, joyful even. He had been vaguely aware that when the Twi'lek had talked about going dancing that Ezah didn't mean any of the various formal dances Sascha had learned when he was younger. He could probably dance a proper Alderaanian waltz in his sleep, given how many times he had practiced it with Tyra, but he didn't think he'd be using those moves tonight.

Loud noises, bright, flashing lights and writhing dancers…Sascha was convinced this would be the first and last time he'd ever be in in a place like this and he thanked the Force for that.

Ezah noticed that he had been left behind and prodded at the Jedi's elbow, "Come on, let's go to our room."

"Yeah, okay," he said, still distracted by the festivities in front of him.

He and Ezah followed the rest of the cast and crew into a private room, which Gardeth had been given the code to open. This room was much quieter, but the music from outside was still audible. Their room featured some very opulent looking couches and chairs along with a main table, a lavish place for wealthier patrons to hang out. All the wealth on display made Sascha uncomfortable, but he remembered that it was merely a nice gesture provided by Kant Pesqui, who had paid for the whole thing. That made him feel a little better.

Sascha settled in to one of the couches nearby the door, try as he might he can't help but note what the best defensive locations in the room are, and which locations give him an ability to keep an eye on the only entrance, a product of years of training. Sascha would have bet that no one else in the room was programmed to do the same thing. No, they simply just picked a spot that looked comfortable. They didn't worry about available cover, or scouting the exits.

He's starting to realize that there is no such thing as being a normal sixteen year old, when you've been trained as a Jedi.

Rzah sat beside him on the large and comfortable couch, grabbing a nearby datapad and sifting through the menu, "Grab one for yourself, drinks and food are on Kant Pesqui."

Interest piqued, he picked up a datapad, the menu for the club was extensive, it was easier just to type in what kind of food you wanted or let the datapad's basic AI choose for you. Sascha was merely trying to get over the prices, even if he wasn't paying himself, the prices charged by this establishment was absurd, and it offended his Jedi asceticism. "I wonder if they charge for water," he muttered to himself. He scrolled further down on the menu and realized they did. Disgusted, he tossed the datapad back on to a table.

"You don't want anything? They have some of the better chefs on Coruscant working here."

"I'm a simple man, with simple tastes, Ezah."

"Is that a Jedi thing?"

He tried to picture Doro or Trigg in the same situation; they'd probably order the biggest nerf steak they could find, "No, I think it's more of a personal preference," he admitted, mostly to himself. Ezah seemed taken aback by the fact that Sascha could be offered his choice of delicacies from across the galaxy and choose none of them. To be fair, it was probably not something she saw every day.

"I'm buying a round," declared one of the crew members, a jovial young man that Sascha had taken an immediate liking to. Finnick Birch was his name, Sascha recalled, "I know you want a Tatooine Sunrise, Ezah, what will it be for our honored guest?"

"I think I'm supposed to be your bodyguard for the night, I'll pass, thank you," Sascha said as politely as possible.

"Come on, this is going to be the only time in my life I'll ever get to buy a Jedi a drink, don't hold out of me Sascha."

"I'll just have a muja juice," he said politely.

Finnick smiles and orders it, but Sascha can feel the young man's disappointment clearly through the Force.

Ezah was lounging languidly, almost seeming to sink into the opulent couch, "You sure you're human, Sascha?"

"Pretty sure," he said, plastering a fake smile on his face.

The truth is he is not sure anymore, certainly not as sure as he had been four hours ago. The culture shock that Sascha is currently feeling is becoming quite overwhelming. It seems to him that while he had always thought of himself as a human, and relatively normal, he has nothing in common with any of these people his age. He isn't normal, he can never be normal.

Maybe the reason everyone stared at him like he was a freak was...that he was a freak.

"Excuse me for a minute," he says, and exited the room, needing some space to work this out in and finding only a room with music pounding, and people he has nothing in common with dancing with abandon. For the first time in his life he realized how much of an outsider he is to these people, and how that makes him feel completely alone.


	13. Chapter 12: Act Four - Dance

**Sirion Lanor -** Lightsabers are called laser swords surprisingly often, I tend to think of it as a pejorative way to describe a lightsaber. As for the second part of your comment, you hit the nail on the head, this is a 'Sascha development' arc, with minor bits of action at points. Not all problems should be solved by 'lightsaber diplomacy.'

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- I mean on one hand, I think childhood in the Jedi Temple would be a pretty good deal, but I'm pretty sure the Jedi don't believe too much in 'weekends' or 'days off' or 'vacation.' Honestly, I think Jedi children are kept in the Temple for their own safety - imagine if they let say, ten year old Jedi wander around Coruscant - it wouldn't be all that difficult to capture them and brainwash them to do some truly awful things. As for Sascha using his powers, Sascha isn't going to go super Jedi mode right now, I kind of want to give Sascha a problem to solve with his brain and not just by drawing his lightsaber.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** I learned from book one that things get kind of dragged down if I focus too much on the romantic angles - and it was your reviews that pointed that out. Romantic aspects will always exist, but I think I do a better job of integrating them in the plot rather them being kind of different elements. We are going to be seeing more of Ezah - I like her character quite a bit, and she'll pop up here and there throughout Sascha's story. As for the other minor characters...I have an idea of how to bring them all back at an interesting point in time...

 **Rampageblast -** That was exactly what I was going for! Thanks for the Review!

A/N - Nothing from me.

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 12: How to Embarrass a Padawan, an Evening in Several Acts. Act Four: Shut Up and Dance With Me.**

Sascha stopped just outside the door and takes a deep, calming breath. It gives him his sense of calm back for about half a second, which further frustrated the Padawan.

He knew that he had a tendency to become emotional, it was seemingly just the way he had been wired, and there was only so much that Jedi training could undo. He compensated for this weakness by having a deep reserve of calm that would have been the envy of many Jedi Knights. He usually could tap into this sense of calm easily, without a second thought; he could count the number of times he'd lost his temper on one hand. He wasn't strong in the Force, but he was usually centered within it, a necessary skill to be able to use the Force with any degree of competence. He had no problems remaining calm when under attack by pirates, or being under siege by an entire army and staring down his own death, but now, confronted with the daunting task of attending a musical and guarding a well-behaved group of young people, he had lost his calm.

And lost his calm he had. Thoughts whirl around his head. An hour ago he had been sure that he was normal, but after hanging out with normal people his age, it had become apparent that he was the furthest thing from normal. It was a sobering realization, a deeply depressing realization.

Perhaps, he reasoned, this is why the Jedi had kept him and his other Padawans inside the Temple. He comfortable with his life within the Temple, but when he left it, more and more he realized that he was a fish out of water.

Realizing that he was in public, he decided that it would be a better idea to think about these ideas in private, and perhaps talk about this with his Master tomorrow. Yet, the first thing he had to do was calm himself down.

Closing his eyes and concentrating deeply, he summoned his command of the Force, and let it swirl around him, strengthening him, heightening his senses. He placed himself in the middle of the current that is the Force, and lets it wash over him, not affected by the stream of emotions that surrounds him in the slightest. He's a rock, untouched, unmoveable, the world moves around _him_. He simply is. When all of his other techniques for controlling emotions had failed, this one had always worked, it reminded him of who he was, what he could do, what he was capable of.

Ezah found him just outside the door, his eyes closed in concentration. To an untrained eye, the Jedi is barely breathing. As Sascha gets control of himself back, he gets the sense that Ezah is entranced by watching a Jedi actually use the Force in front her. As mundane as it is to him, for her it's a once in a lifetime experience.

He opens his eyes, "Hi, Ezah."

"You were using the Force, weren't you," she said, eyes full of wonderment, "What were you doing?"

Force powers are notoriously hard to explain, even Jedi Knights have difficulty sometimes vocalizing what exactly they were doing, even to other Jedi, "I think the simplest explanation is that I was meditating, centering myself in the Force."

" _That_ is the simplest explanation?" she said.

"Sorry," Sascha shrugged, "I think you might understand why they don't let us out of the Temple much…we don't exactly fit in well. We aren't normal, almost by definition."

"I'm aware that being a Jedi makes you different, but even I can tell something is bothering you, and I ain't no Jedi."

Sascha wonders if his emotions are that obvious. They probably are, he decided. He sighed softly, "I don't know…I always had this idea…more of a fantasy as I'm finding out, but I always thought that I'm not that different from other people my age, that I could just turn off the Jedi part of my brain for an hour and be Sascha Whitestar, ordinary citizen of the Republic. I'm finding out today that I simply can't do that."

"You ever get tired of those Force powers, just donate them to me, I'll put them to good use," replied Ezah lightly.

"It sounds so selfish, I know. I'm starting to think I'm not nearly as good a Jedi as I thought I was."

Ezah grabbed his hand gently and led him into a quieter section of the room, "It seems like a perfectly normal thought to me. You don't know how many times I've thought about how nice it would be to just be able to relax for a week, to be able to just plop myself on a couch somewhere and watch the Holonet for a week. But I can't, I've got to go to vocal coaching, dress rehearsals, press events, a million daily events I'd rather not be doing, but in the end it's worth it because I get to do what I love, which is sing." Ezah looked away, "The grind of it all is mind-numbing sometimes. I think we're always searching for something more normal than what our lives currently are…though admittedly your life is less normal than most."

"I'm pretty sure I should just discard the word 'normal' from my personal dictionary and forget it ever existed," he said.

The Twi'lek grinned, "I think that is a bit extreme. Sascha, you have to realize that _no one_ is normal. Normal is just an idea. And frankly if we found a person that was 'normal,' they'd probably be extremely boring to hang out with."

He smiled a little at Ezah, "Sorry, you shouldn't be worried about me, I'm just having a slight early-life crisis," he said trying to find a little levity in the situation.

Ezah waved her hand in a flippant gesture, "Nah I'm not going to spend much time worrying about a Jedi. I am however, going to continue to show him how normal people act." Ezah glanced around the room, "In fact we could do something very normal right now. Let's dance together."

Sascha shouldn't be surprised by the request considering the location, but he is. "I'm not sure that would be appropriate behaviour for a Jedi," he says somewhat stiffly.

"Sounds like someone is trying to cover up that he can't dance," Ezah said, taunting the young Padawan.

"I'll have you know that all Jedi are excellent dancers," he replied.

"Then why don't you prove it _Master Jedi_ ," Ezah turns the honorary title into another taunt.

He searched for a reason to turn her down. It's an absurd idea, isn't it? A grey robed Padawan with a lightsaber on his hip dancing with a beautiful young Twi'lek? Wouldn't it draw an undue amount of attention? Sascha looked at the crowd of dancers, they all seem happy, carefree, each lost in their own little world, and short of a fire breaking out he isn't sure if there is anything that could draw their attention. He's not quite sure he can come up with a reasonable excuse for not dancing with Ezah, besides some misplaced notion of what is proper for a Jedi to do. But he's not really a Jedi right now is he...

A new song played over the speakers of the dance club. It's a song that he recognizes, it's a recent remix of an exceedingly old song, it's a happy, upbeat tune that brings a half-smile to the Padawan's face. Judging by her reaction, Ezah likes the song too, "I love this song," Ezah bounced on her toes excitedly, "Come on, dance with me Sascha, just one song…no one is going to know you are a Jedi."

He can't resist her. He doesn't want to. He can't stop being a Jedi. He can never be normal…but he can do this, he can dance with a pretty girl that wants to dance with him for one song. He lets Ezah pull him to the dance floor.

The song continues to blare over the speakers of the club. After the cheery instrumental, the singer comes in, "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said you're holding back, she said shut up and dance with me!" This is a strangely appropriate song to dance to, Sascha decided.

The Twi'lek and the Jedi carve out their own little space on the dance floor. It's not exactly a lot of room, and Sascha keeps bumping into people around him. No one seemed to care. Ezah danced with an elegance that suggested that she could have easily been a dancer instead of a singer. The Twi'lek sings along with the song, a wild smile lighting up her face. She is certainly enjoying the experience, or maybe she just enjoyed the obvious discomfort of the young Padawan. Sascha tried to vaguely approximate the movements of some of the males around him, but really hasn't the slightest clue what he should be doing. In his defence, none of this was really in the curriculum at the Jedi Temple.

"I've seen droids that dance better than you, Sascha!" Ezah taunted.

"Hey, I wasn't exactly taught how to dance to this sort of music in the Temple," he replied, shouting to be heard over the music.

Ezah laughed joyfully, "You have to actually let yourself feel the music…it should be easy for you, it should be like feeling the Force." The Twi'lek drops down low, and bounces quickly to her feet in a fluid motion. The way Ezah dances is both somehow totally chaste but seductive at the same time. Sascha lacks the vocabulary...and the life experience to describe it.

Oblivious to the uneasiness of the young Padawan, the song continues, "…This woman is my destiny, she said...shut up and dance with me!"

Sascha revised his earlier comment that this was an appropriate song to dance to, and understands why he can't dance well to it. He tries his best, he really does, but when you are trained all your life to contain and control your emotions, it's very difficult to just let them go, even for a minute or two. Mercifully, the song comes to an end, and he's somewhat disappointed by the experience…but he has an idea.

"Okay Ezah, I've danced your way…badly. Now I'll show you how we dance at the Jedi Temple!"

Ezah glances at him coquettishly, "I'm game, this I have to see to believe."

Sascha could probably dance a half-dozen of the galaxies more popular formal dances, but the music fits none of them, they aren't in the right time signature.

Just improvise, you idiot, he thought to himself.

Cautiously he reached out and put his right hand on the Twi'lek's hip and takes her right hand with his left. "Lead on," said the Twi'lek.

As the song begins, he started guiding her to the steps of a Mantooine Minuet, a very prim and proper set of dance steps. The minuet is mostly just a pattern of quick, intricate footsteps, and it is clear from the very start that Ezah has no idea what she is doing. The first time he tries to turn the Twi'lek, Ezah almost stumbles and falls, forcing the young Jedi to make a graceful and athletic save.

As the song goes on though, Ezah started to catch on. The lithe Twi'lek certainly had the agility to handle the steps to the Mantooine Minuet, had she learned the proper steps. Still the steps aren't all the complicated, and after a minute Ezah started throwing herself enthusiastically into the motions. Sascha smiled at the Twi'lek, "You are pretty good, you know."

"I'm just following _your_ lead," she replied.

Something about those words makes Sascha feel a lot better about himself. At the end of the song, he released his light grasp on Ezah, stepped back and bowed to his partner. Ezah duplicated his actions a half second later. He became aware that several of the nearby beings had stopped to watch he and Ezah dance, so he offers the crowd a mocking half-bow and a wild grin along with it.

The music quiets for a second for an 'intermission' for the DJ. The crowd started to disperse slightly, making for the bar and the washrooms. A male Twi'lek steps forward from the assembled crowd. The green-skinned Twi'lek is tall and looks like he is some sort of athlete. He's flanked by three other Twi'leks of differing shades, all athletic looking, all of them looking hungrily at Ezah. "Hey pretty girl," the main Twi'lek says to Ezah. Then he adds something in a language that Sascha doesn't understand. The male Twi'leks all laugh.

Ezah seems put off by the Twi'leks and stands behind him. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" Sascha asks.

"Yeah, we want to dance with your slave," said the Twi'lek in a matter of fact way.

Sascha is instantly put on guard, referring to anyone as a slave, even if they did happen to be a slave is not a way to get on his good side. "Ezah is not a slave," Sascha replied, annoyed but trying not to let it show.

"Really? Beautiful girl like that dancing with a guy like you…are you sure daddy didn't buy you a nice little slave to be your girlfriend?"

Sascha blinked, was that something that really happened? Buying a Twi'lek girlfriend for your son? He supposed it could have been something that occurred, as unseemly as it seemed. By the time Sascha parsed his thoughts, Ezah is launching a retort, sneering as she does it, "I'd rather be a slave to him than dance with you once, _sleemo_."

The leader of the group reacts like Ezah had slapped him. Sascha began to realize that a small crowd was forming, watching the verbal conflict between the Twi'leks. Suddenly, he is at the center of a potential conflict. How did that happen, he wondered briefly.

The three multi-coloured friends of the main Twi'lek fan out and surround he and Ezah. Ezah dug her hand into his shoulder, obviously afraid. Sascha begins running through possible scenarios in his mind. He can defeat four unarmed Twi'leks without breaking a sweat, but can he do it without Ezah coming to harm? He's not quite sure. He decides that he's not quite ready to give up on diplomacy. He holds his hands out pleadingly, "Let's just take a step back, some words were said that I'm sure we don't mean…"

The main Twi'lek now stands a short distance in front of Sascha and fixed the Jedi with an intimidating stare, the green-skinned skinned Twi'lek is a fair bit taller than the young Jedi and well built. If Sascha wasn't a Jedi he might have actually been intimidated. "What, you think you're some sort of Jedi, just because you're dressed in some tatty robe and have a fake lightsaber on your hip?"

No, he agrees, it's the years of training at the Jedi Temple and the force-sensitivity that make me a Jedi. Nonetheless, the situation seems to be spiraling out of his control. Ezah seemed frantic, "That's a real Jedi, you idiot," she said, trying to project confidence, but her voice betrayed her fear.

"Real Jedi?" the male Twi'lek said derisively. He shoved Sascha hard, and it makes him take a step back, "This scrawny little thing? I don't think so."

The crowd that is watching the drama unfold is growing larger and larger. No one offers to help him, or to settle things down, they simply choose to be bystanders.

Sascha thought about drawing his lightsaber and igniting it. It would be a quick way to bring this situation to an end, but two things stop him from doing that. The first is that he had been taught that and Sascha doesn't think this is a situation that warrants it. The second reason is that he isn't sure that the men he is facing down will believe that his lightsaber is real.

The Jedi decided that his best course of action was to prevent this situation from getting physical. "I'm sorry," he said calmly and decisively, "We are going back to our room. Don't follow us."

He tried to indicate that Ezah should start backing up with him, but the young Twi'lek is frozen in place, her eyes like saucers. Some animal instinct triggered in Ezah and she tries to bolt past the Twi'leks that surround them.

"Ezah!" he shouted.

He realized that the only way that Ezah is going to get past the Twi'leks is if he gives her some assistance. He spun and prepared to use the Force to create enough space for Ezah to sneak through.

As he's doing that thought, he felt the main Twi'lek, who is now behind him, reach towards his hip and grab at his lightsaber. Sascha had a choice, either he completes his Force push or he stops his lightsaber from being taken from him. Grimacing, he pushed a yellow-skinned Twi'lek out of the way with the Force and saw Ezah race past the Twi'lek and into the crowd. At the same time, he feels his lightsaber get unclipped from his belt.

"Thanks for the toy, Jedi," comments his Twi'lek nemesis, flipping his lightsaber around impishly. The Twi'leks gather and return to their booth.

The DJ returns from his break and the music pounds again, with the drama over the dancers return to their dance.

Sascha clenches his fists by his sides, still in disbelief that he just let his lightsaber get taken from him – it can't be turned on, the master breaker is still set to the off position, if it had the calculus of the situation would have been much different.

He's torn briefly by two competing instincts, one is to go immediately retrieve his lightsaber, and the other is to find and comfort Ezah. One thing is a painstakingly crafted piece of art that he's had for years, which has been customized to his desires, it's completely irreplaceable, completely unique, it's a symbol of a Jedi that transcends cultures. The other is a young woman he's just met a couple of hours ago.

An easy choice, Sascha realized. He turned and chased after Ezah.


	14. Chapter 13: Act Five - Getting the Point

**Sirion Lanor -** One of the ways I approached writing this fic was with the idea that Jedi=human. It's not often touched upon enough, because Jedi are so stoic, but underneath all that training is an actual person. We see it with the Obi-Wan/Anakin duel - Obi-wan who is like the paragon of Jedi ideals is yelling at Anakin 'You were my brother!' Not exactly Jedi stoicism. I agree the idea of using the 'real' song lyrics is a bit...cheap and out of character, honestly I had those lyrics there as a placeholder, and when I went to replace them...I couldn't find lyrics that were as good...so they stayed.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- The Season 2 finale to Star Wars Rebels nearly killed me. My palms were sweating for the final twenty minutes. (Ahsoka lives damnit, and no one can tell me differently!)

I have to admit when I read that 'pulling an Anakin' I burst into laughter. In a way he's certainly doing that, but as you'll see Sascha ain't Anakin when it comes to matters of the heart. Aurine certainly has a reason behind her actions today - and we'll be dealing with that in chapter 14 (its a fun little chapter). And take heart, Sascha is indeed as willfull and clever as he seems.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** That is an interesting comparison. Sascha and other young Jedi his age are certainly well educated, but simple social nuances probably aren't in the curriculum at the Jedi Temple. Ironically, Sascha was more comfortable in dealing with Senator Kuat than someone his own age. So things like dancing with a girl he doesn't really know how to do, unless its a formal dance. I mean it kind of shows with other young Jedi. Anakin is hilariously unprepared to spend time with Padme undercover, I mean the dude sticks out like a sore thumb. Sascha (at this point) is kind of the same way.

 **Rampageblast -** Thanks for the review! Sascha certainly got himself in a little bit of trouble - and his assignment was so simple!

A/N - This chapter is a bit longer than usual, mostly because I chopped two chapters into this one. Very happy with how it turned out though, it flows better and I chopped about a thousand superflous words out. Anything to make the story move faster I think is a good thing.

As always your reviews, favourites and follows are deeply appreciated!

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 13:** ** **How to Embarrass a Padawan, an Evening in Several Acts.** Act Five: Getting the Point**

Sascha elbowed his way through the crowd, intent on finding Ezah. It doesn't take long for him to find her. He finds Ezah outside on the balcony, staring out into the Coruscant night. It's almost a cliché, the beautiful young girl all alone on the balcony. Silently, he moved beside her, giving her space. A small part of his brain was pleading for him to go back inside and retrieve his lightsaber, but he feels a strange sort of certainty that this is the right decision. He's not quite sure _why_ this is the correct decision, that is what he needs to figure out.

"How are you doing, Ezah?" he asks gently.

The Twi'lek barks a bitter laugh, "Oh, spectacular. Absolutely spectacular. It turns out that no matter what I do, I'll still be a slave in the eyes of some. It doesn't matter that I just sang in one of the most prestigious music theatres in the galaxy, I'll still just be a piece of eye candy for most Twi'leks." Tears glisten briefly in Ezah's eyes and she turned away from him.

Sascha decided to point the conversation in a different direction, "You know, some people call Jedi slaves…but they mostly do it when we aren't around."

Ezah shook her head slowly, making the decorations on her lekku clink softly as they moved, "I guess I understand that. I just never understood why the Jedi have to take their Initiates as children to the Temple, it makes them seem like monsters, taking children away from their parents, no wonder they call you slaves. I mean why can't they take Jedi at age six instead of age two?"

It's a good question and one Sascha had asked before, "It's because we aren't allowed attachments, to anything, even our parents."

"I know that, but why do the Jedi fear attachment so much? I mean you must hate it, it ruins any sort of normalcy that you could have had."

Sascha played with his Padawan braid for a quick second, "Actually, for the first time in my life I kind of understand why we were raised like we were," he said, finally cobbling together his thoughts. "As a Jedi, even a Padawan like myself, I forget sometimes how powerful I am compared to an average person. I could have incapacitated those four Twi'leks that threatened us without being touched, without breaking a sweat. Just the fact that I _know_ that is true is so odd. It's a hard thing to come to grips with."

"Then whey didn't you punch that slimy Twi'lek right in his big, fat, mouth?" snarled Ezah.

"Because it wouldn't have been right," replied Sascha. "A Jedi only uses his talents for defence, never to attack. Besides, if I start throwing punches in the middle of a dance club, the situation could have spiralled out of control." The Padawan put his arm around Ezah for a second, "I would never have let harm come to you though."

The Twi'lek shrugged off his arm, and looked into the Coruscant night, all tall buildings and transparisteel windows, "Sorry. I shouldn't have run away. I should have stood with you, I was with a _kriffing_ Jedi but some deep part of my brain said 'males are arguing – run and find shelter,' so I did." Ezah rapped a fist against her skull lightly, "Really great survival instincts I've got. I'm going to stick to singing."

"I don't blame you for running away, Ezah."

Ezah made a dismissive hand gesture, "Then you Jedi are truly better people than the rest of us."

The young Padawan paused, confused by Ezah's reaction. Quickly, he replayed the last few minutes in his mind. He realized there was one part of this equation that he might have missed. "Ezah, what did that Twi'lek say in Twi'leki?"

"A whole lot," Ezah said quietly.

Sascha simply waited for Ezah to elaborate.

After a couple of long beats she did, continuing to stare forward into the night sky, "It was basically just a joke about how many men I must have slept with to become a singer of note. They simply wanted to join the list."

"That is a horrible thing to say to someone," said Sascha.

"It's not the first time I've heard such comments," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said, for lack of anything better to say.

"You are above all this, aren't you," said Ezah, her tone a mix of bitterness and anger. "You probably have never read a tabloid, or watched a minute of 'entertainment' news where unfounded gossip rules all."

"I know that such things exist," he said calmly, "But I have no intention of reading them."

Ezah laughed bitterly, "Hah! You know you have all these wonderful articles written about you. Do you even read them?"

"No. It doesn't really interest me," he said honestly.

The Twi'lek sighed, "I used to be able to avoid them. But now reporters bring up these...these rumours in interviews and I can't avoid them. Usually I just deny the rumours and move on, but to hear it from these random Twi'leks...it just kind of broke something within me. I always wanted to be more than just a pretty face, but to some, that's all I'll ever be." Ezah did a little pirouette, "Ezah Resel, professional eye-candy, at your service."

While Sascha felt extraordinarily bad for Ezah, he really lacked the life experience to comment in any meaningful way. "You know, when I complimented you on your performance, I did that because I liked your singing, and not because of any other reasons."

Ezah smiled for the first time in several minutes, "I know. When you talked to me about my performance, there was an earnestness to you, a childlike quality almost. You didn't care that I was beautiful, you didn't hope that by complimenting me that I'd perform some sort of favour for you. You just were honest. Do you know how long its been since I received a compliment and I didn't have to decipher _why_ I was being complimented?"

"I feel like that's a rhetorical question," he joked softly.

Ezah looked out into the night sky one last time, shook her head and then turned to face him, "Let's not talk about this anymore. This is probably the one time in my life I'll get to talk to a real Jedi, I don't want to waste it talking about my problems."

He bowed slightly, "If you want. But if you want to talk more about what happened, I'm open to that too."

"No, I'm moving past that. I wanted to ask about my character in the musical, Gardeth's character was named after you, obviously, was my character named after anyone?"

Sascha nodded, "Aalya Secura is a Twi'lek Padawan currently within the Jedi Order. You look a lot like her actually." Privately, Sascha was trying to decide which of the Twi'lek women was better looking. He figured that it might be a tie.

Ezah brightened slightly, "Do you know her very well? I'd love to learn more about her."

He shook his head slightly, "Sorry, Aalya and I were never friends. Her clan and my clan were actually rivals when I was growing up. Her clan usually beat ours," he said ruefully.

"So you don't like her?" Ezah inquired.

"What? No. Aalya's great. She's going to be a great Jedi Knight, probably a Jedi Master. It's just that we aren't friends."

Ezah nodded, seemingly disappointed, "Does she have problems with her Master, like the character in the musical does?"

"Actually, the story between her and her Master is a much happier one. Aalya was a slave on Ryloth where she was discovered by a young Padawan and taken to the Jedi Temple to be trained as a Jedi. Years later when that Padawan became a Jedi Knight, he took Aalya as his Padawan."

A sad smile appeared on Ezah's face, "That's a nice story, I prefer that one to the one I tell in the musical."

Sascha waved away her comment, "It doesn't quite fit into the theme of the musical."

"Yeah, I guess you're right Sascha."

Sascha, well aware that his lightsaber was missing from his hip, and that Ezah was not the only person he was supposed to be guarding tonight, wanted to get back inside the building. Strangely, he wasn't worried that his lightsaber wasn't with him. His lightsaber was his favourite possession, possibly the only thing he really owned...but he wasn't afraid of losing it. He wondered if that was a good thing.

"Come on Ezah, it's cold out here, lets go back inside," he said.

"I like it out here," said Ezah stubbornly. Then the Twi'lek looked down at his hip, and notices that something is missing. "Did you change where you put your lightsaber? Or have I just gone blind?"

"Well, uh, when I used that Force push to let you escape and come here, I kind of let one of those Twi'leks take my lightsaber."

Ezah's eyes widen like saucers, "WHAT! Why are you standing here with me?! Go back in there and get your lightsaber back before they hurt someone!"

He smirked confidently, "They don't know what they have, Ezah. They think it's a fake lightsaber…which is probably the rational thing to be thinking actually. Don't worry they won't be able to turn it on. In their hands it's just a cylinder, in mine it's a lightsaber."

Ezah looked at Sascha as if he's lost his mind, "Are you sure you're a Jedi? What if they just walked away with it?"

"I can sense my lightsaber across small distances, the focusing crystal and I are connected, I know that they are still close by, probably back inside."

Ezah continued to stare at the Padawan, "So what are you going to do?"

"Well, there are two ways to approach this. One will be very boring, I'll just go up to them and demand my lightsaber back. Even if I have to take it by force it won't be that difficult. The second option will require you to do a bit of acting, but it will allow you a tiny bit of revenge on those slimy Twi'leks."

Ezah smiled predatorily and then that expression faded quickly, "Would I be in any danger?"

He chuckled, "Ezah, I'm not going to let you come to harm."

Ezah visibly collected herself, "Okay. I'll do it. Tell me what the plan is."

He told her.

Sascha and Ezah first went back to their room to collect their things. Ezah announced that she's retiring for the night, and this spurs the rest of the party to admit that they are quite tired and are ready to leave. The Twi'lek tells them to prepare to leave, and that she just needs to collect something.

Ezah and the young Jedi leave the room and search for the four male Twi'leks from earlier. Sascha found them in a booth off to the side of the room in a quieter section of the club. He watches as a yellow-skinned Twi'lek examined his lightsaber, twisting it's nobs and pressing it's buttons, obviously trying to figure out how to turn it on. Sascha found an unobtrusive position in a little nook that allowed him to both keep an eye on the Twi'lek's booth and listen in to their conversation. Seeing him in position, Ezah started walking over to the booth.

Once the males notice Ezah approaching, the body languages of the males changes drastically, all swaggering confidence and bravado. Sascha discreetly rolled his eyes. It almost would have been amusing to see the four Twi'leks fighting over who got to be with Ezah.

Almost.

Ezah sauntered confidently over to the booth, a winning smile on her face. Sascha can tell that she is faking it, but has to admit, she's a pretty good actress. "Hello boys," she said.

"Hello beautiful," said the green-skinned Twi'lek, who is obviously the leader of this little group. "Looks like you ditched your boyfriend. Did you come to see what a real man looks like?"

Ezah ignored the obvious bait, "I've just come to get my friend's lightsaber. Then I'll be going."

Another Twi'lek, this one with yellow skin, smiled, showing pointed teeth, "That doesn't sound like a very good trade. How about we give your friend his toy lightsaber back, and then you sit down right next to me?"

Ezah smiled sweetly, "No."

"No?" said the green-skinned Twi'lek, incredulous. "Lady, we know who you are. You are just a third-rate..."

"No. You don't know who I am," said Ezah. She dropped a datapad onto their table and turned it to projection mode. A three dimensional picture of Aalya Secura popped up, identifying her as a Jedi Padawan. If you looked really, really hard you could see the difference between Ezah and Aalya, but they possess roughly the same size, body type and facial features. Sascha was pretty sure that the group of Twi'leks would not be able to tell the difference.

"You're...a Jedi?" said the yellow-skinned Twi'lek.

The males all looked at each other, uncertain. Finally, the green-skinned Twi'lek gathered a bit of confidence, "No, this is some trick or something. No Jedi would have run from us like that, or even been here in the first place."

Ezah shrugged casually, if not effected by the insinuation, "Maybe you recognize my friend?" She pushed a button on her datapad and the display changed from Aalya's face, to his.

"That's your boyfriend!" blurted one of the Twi'leks.

"Sascha is not my boyfriend," Ezah replied, a bit annoyed, "He's just a fellow Jedi. And we were enjoying a nice night out until you decided that you wanted to do something foolish. Now hand me back his lightsaber before I go make a police report."

The male Twi'leks are all confused now and more than a little scared, Sascha can tell. His plan had been predicated on the idea that these bullies, because that was clearly what they were, wouldn't have the guts to stand up to a Jedi, even a 'fake' one like Ezah. So far it is working.

The green-skinned Twi'lek, unfortunately, is too stupid, or too stubborn for this plan to work, "No, you aren't a Jedi. And this isn't a lightsaber!" he said, pounding it against the table, "It doesn't even work." The Twi'lek stood, "You are just trying to con us."

"Sit down," Ezah commanded, closing her eyes.

Sascha reached out with the Force and pushed the green-skinned Twi'lek back into his seat.

The Twi'leks, of course, concluded that Ezah was the one using the Force.

The yellow-skinned Twi'lek that was currently in possession of his lightsaber, loses his nerve, bowing supplicantly in his seat and holding the lightsaber out to Ezah, "Please take it. I'm sorry."

Before Ezah can grab it, the green-skinned Twi'lek snatched it from his hand. "Idiot. She's no Jedi. I just lost my balance." He sneered at Ezah, "If you are really a Jedi, you can turn this on," he said, pointing at the lightsaber.

"As you wish," said Ezah.

After a short pause, Sascha released the internal master breaker on the inside of the hilt of his lightsaber, and presses the activation switch. The teal blade springs to life.

Surprised by the sudden activation of the lightsaber, the green-skinned Twi'lek bobbles it and drops the weapon. Sascha, quickly deactivated the blade before it can do damage to the table or a Twi'lek.

Ezah picked up the lightsaber from the table, "Thanks boys. I'll be going now." Ezah turned sharply on her heel and walked over to him, leaving the rest of the male Twi'leks to simply stare at her in astonishment. "How did I do?" she asked him.

"Well you sure fooled them," he drawled. "Maybe next time they won't go around insulting females."

"They are probably a bit too dumb to learn that lesson, but you certainly gave them the chance to learn it."

"Well, it was fun at least," he said.

"That it was," said Ezah.

Ezah bounced towards the front entrance where the rest of the group was gathering. "Uh, Ezah?" he said.

She turned, "What?"

"You still have my lightsaber."

"Oh my goodness," exclaimed Ezah some colour entering her cheeks. "Here you go." Sascha took the lightsaber from Ezah and put it back in it's proper spot. Then they both rejoin the main group.

The group walked the short distance back to the hotel without further incident. The young Jedi figured that with his assignment completed, that he'd walk back to the Temple. Ezah had other ideas. She waited with him in the lobby until all the other cast and crew had departed for their rooms.

"This is where I leave you..."

"Oh come on, bodyguard," taunted Ezah, "You have to make sure my room is safe first."

"I'm sure that your room is safe, Ezah."

"One hundred percent sure?"

Sascha laughed, "Okay, only ninety-nine point nine percent sure. I'll come up to your room."

A short lifttube ride later, they were outside her door. Ezah unlocked the door for him and turns to him, "Now go make sure it's safe, bodyguard."

Sascha rolled his eyes but walked in first, making a show of checking all the alcoves of the room. It's not a very big room, though it is nice and lavish, with a new model holoprojector being the first thing that he notices. "I think you'll be safe for tonight, Ezah. I really should be going now, though."

"Stay Sascha," Ezah says, placing a hand lightly on his arm, her pale blue eyes staring into his.

"Okay, I'll stay for a bit Ezah," he said sinking into a nearby chair. He decided that he might as well stay, given that he doesn't have anything pressing to be doing back at the Temple. He'd been given free reign for the night and the night isn't quite over yet...

"Do you want anything to drink or eat…I'm not sure what they have here, but if you want something…"

"I'm fine Ezah."

"Using the Force didn't tire you out a little?" she inquired.

"I didn't even break a sweat," the Padawan said with a smile.

Ezah sat on her bed, unclipping the decorations that she had adorned her lekku with and placed them back on her dresser. "You know it's really hard to know who exactly you are Sascha. How you can be the shy teenager who could not dance a lick, the person who led me through those dance steps and still be this powerful wizard that uses the Force so effortlessly. Who are you, Sascha Whitestar?"

He smiled knowingly, "I'm just me," he said. "I'm that shy sixteen year old, I'm that teenager that couldn't swallow his pride, and I'm that young man that helped you against those Twi'leks. I'm a Jedi. And I understand what that all means a whole lot better now than I did this morning, so I must thank you for that."

"Thank me? No, thank you for dealing with those pretentious, slimy Twi'leks, you certainly gave them a lesson to remember."

"Yeah, if someone is dressed like a Jedi, and carries a lightsaber, you shouldn't mess with his friends," he said lightly.

Ezah looked contemplative, "I never thought a Jedi would have a sense of humor…they always seem so serious on the Holonet. My research didn't reveal everything I suppose."

"I'm a serious person at heart, but no Jedi is a droid, we laugh, we have jokes, we have interests, and hobbies, we're just Jedi as well. We deal with some of the worst crises in the Republic, we'd go crazy if we couldn't come back to the Temple and laugh a little."

The Twi'lek absorbed what he said soberly, "Well I certainly have a new respect for the Jedi after this. When I was watching you use the Force it was like…watching something ethereal happen right in front of my eyes, something that I can't even begin to understand, it was like you transformed from this average human into something almost mystical…I'll never forget that moment for the rest of my life."

"Well I'm glad I could provide you with a memorable moment, Ezah."

"I should be the one thanking you," she said.

"It was my pleasure," he said.

He figured that he should probably be leaving pretty soon, but as he started to rise from his chair Ezah speaks up, "Can I ask a favour Sascha? Can I see your lightsaber? I don't think I'll ever get to see another one in my life ever again and I'd hate myself if I didn't ask."

"Didn't get a good enough look when you had it," he jested.

"Well, it was pretty dark in the club," Ezah shot back.

He considered the request for a brief moment, but he couldn't see the harm. "Okay," he said. He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, flicked master breaker into the off position with the Force and then placed it in his palm so the young Twi'lek can take it.

Carefully, reverentially even, Ezah took the lightsaber, "You turned it off right?" she said nervously.

"You'd need to be a Jedi to turn it on, Ezah."

"Well, I kind of played the part of a Jedi a couple times today," Ezah said, smiling, "Does that qualify me to be a Jedi?"

"Um, no."

"Hmm. Too bad," said Ezah lightly. "Though I wonder how those Twi'leks never managed to turn it on. Is it some sort of Force thing?"

He grinned, "Jedi secret, I'm afraid."

Ezah examined the lightsaber, admiring the handiwork, "You built this?"

He nodded, "It was designed by someone else, but yes I built it and have modified it over the years."

"Wow," is about all the comment Ezah can manage as she turned the lightsaber around, "Can I turn it on?"

"Okay, but I'm not responsible if you lose a limb or damage the furniture." Ezah looks at him, mortified, but he smiled, "Don't worry I won't let anything bad happen, if only just to avoid the conversation with my Master tomorrow."

"You probably shouldn't be joking about things like that."

"Duly noted," he replied, chagrined.

"Okay….I trust you, I'm going to turn it on now, is this grip okay?"

The Twi'lek is holding the lightsaber in a tight grip, her bluish skin whitening where her hand makes contact with the silver-grey cylinder. "I think my instructors would just about faint if they saw someone holding a lightsaber like that," Sascha said dryly. "You don't have to hold it in a death grip, it's an elegant weapon, not a club you beat someone with."

He gently moved Ezah's fingers into a somewhat correct position, feeling his heart race as his fingers intertwine ever so briefly with the Twi'lek's. Sascha tries not to think of how beautiful Ezah is, and how he is alone with her. Clearing his throat, he said, "Okay that should be good, go ahead and turn it on."

Ezah pressed the activator and the teal blade springs to life, the Twi'lek stares at it in fascination as it hums softy.

Sascha had never realized that the average person treated lightsabers so reverently. They were a cool weapon, even he could realize that much, and a lightsaber was more unique than a blaster, but to him, literally everyone he knew had one, so it didn't seem all that remarkable to him. Yet Ezah certainly thought differently.

After a brief amount of time, he pressed the activation button twice and the blade deactivated. Ezah turned and beamed at him, "That was special, I don't know how I could ever repay you for tonight."

"It was a special night for me as well, but don't worry about paying me…I've got no use for credits," Sascha said sarcastically.

"I know I way we can make it more special," Ezah smiled coquettishly, leaving no question about what she is offering. Sascha felt his heart race. He can't accept the offer, can he? Ezah is a stunning young woman and he does enjoy her company…

He can't, he's not that person. "Ezah…"

The Twi'lek's expression fell before the Padawan can continue, "Sorry, I don't know what came over me. Here I am trying to seduce a Jedi! Truly, I am an idiot." Ezah brings her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs, making herself into a little ball as she sat on the bed.

Sascha got up on his chair and sat on Ezah's bed, but far enough away from her that his action cannot be misinterpreted. "The offer is very much appreciated Ezah, and certainly there is a part of my brain currently screaming and cursing at me, telling me that I'm an idiot to turning it down, but it wouldn't be right. I was happy to have your company tonight, and I meant it earlier when I said that you helped me sort out some things that had been rattling around in my brain for a while. Ezah, I'd really appreciate it if we could be friends…you are the first non-Jedi I'd ever call a friend, and it would be nice to stay in contact with a normal person."

The Twi'lek managed a slight smile, "I thought you were getting rid of the word 'normal' from your vocabulary."

"I haven't managed to delete it quite yet," he replies with a smirk on his face.

Ezah brushed a hand over her face, "I'd like to be friends, Sascha. Though I have no idea what that would entail. I'm probably not going to be on Coruscant for more than a month."

"I'm not always on Coruscant either," he admitted. "But don't you have an address on the Holonet where we can exchange messages? I'd just like to know what is going on in your life, it would be nice to see how you are doing even when I'm off dealing with some crisis on a distant world. It might be a nice touch of normalcy. Sometimes, I'd bet that it take me awhile to respond, but I always will Ezah."

Ezah uncurled from her seated position, "Okay lets do that."

After the Twi'lek and the Jedi exchanged contact information, Sascha stood up. "This was a pleasant evening, Ezah. Thank you for a memorable birthday."

Ezah put her hands on her hips dramatically, "You didn't tell me it was your birthday!"

Sascha winced, "Sorry, I kind of forgot myself, actually."

Ezah rolled her eyes at him, "I hope you enjoyed your birthday."

"I did."

The Twi'lek shook her head in disbelief, "Not quite sure I saw my day going like this, when I woke up today, but I'm glad it did. May the Force be with you Sascha Whitestar."

"And with you, Ezah Resel," he said.

The two embraced awkwardly before the Padawan takes his leave.

As he walked back to the Jedi Temple, he tries to sort through all that happened this evening and how he's going to explain it all to his Master tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 14: That Three Letter Word

**if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- Ezah's certainly cool (and she's going to have small recurring parts throughout Sascha's story, so that is a good thing. I think a good standard for any mission is 'didn't screw things up more than they were already.'

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** I don't really think Ralla, the aide on Kuat was particularly interested in Sascha - though your interpretation may vary. Ezah certainly was. Good point about how Sascha is living the dream of every teenager - visiting planets, kicking butt, having women fall for him...except he completely misses that. Sascha certainly seems a bit more composed that he had been (and that composure is going to be tested in this next chapter)

 **7doom -** Actually, I think that this has been a good thing for Sascha. He made a friend and a bunch of good decisions.

A/N - Too busy for author's notes!

As always your reviews, favourites and follows are deeply appreciated!

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 14: That Three Letter Word**

Aurine Brynar sat in her usual seat in her favourite refectory in the Jedi Temple, waiting for her Padawan to arrive for their traditional breakfast. He was late, which was a rarity for him. Sascha Whitestar had his moments of teenaged rebellion, but in general he was a good, compliant, young man. How she had ended up with such a quality apprentice still baffled her sometimes.

His birthday had presented an opportunity for her to both reward Sascha and test him further. The invite to the musical had been a good excuse for him to get out of the Temple and see more of the wider world. While his conduct hadn't been the best, she hadn't really been mad at him when he had made a small scene after the musical, she had simply been annoyed. However, it had given her the chance to set up Sascha as the 'bodyguard' for that group of young people. If Sascha had seen it as a punishment...it hadn't really been intended that way. And to be honest, he should have figured out that being given that much freedom without any oversight by her was hardly a punishment.

Part of the education for a young Jedi was learning to comport ones self not only around ambassadors and aristocrats, but normal, everyday people their age. In some ways it was harder to see how a normal person their age lived, because even the most dull witted of Jedi could see that they were experiencing the life they could have had if they had not been recruited by the Jedi Order. The life of a Jedi was a rewarding one, Aurine knew, but it wasn't always rewarding in a traditional sense. Coming to grips with that was an essential part of educating a young Padawan.

When she was almost halfway through her breakfast, Sascha finally staggered in to the refectory. He quickly grabbed a meal and sat across from her. Her Padawan looked rather tired, his hair was even more disheveled than usual and there were a couple of deep bags under his eyes. Aurine suppressed a smile, there were a couple reasons why her Padawan could have had a late night and each of them would have taught him a different and necessary lesson.

Though Sascha was now sitting right across from her and she had a million different questions that she wanted to ask him, they both remained silent for the duration of their meal. Their silent breakfasts had been a tradition carried over from her own apprenticeship under her Master, the Zelton Jedi Master Nova Trynith, who had always said that by not speaking over the morning meal, it allowed the mind to focus purely on the day ahead and the challenges it would bring. It had probably been another one of Master Trynith's tests, but she had taken a liking to it and now the tradition was finding new life with her and her Padawan. Besides, the peace and quiet early in the morning was nice.

Aurine waited for Sascha to finish his meal, "We should talk about last night," she said as soon as he finished.

"Yes, Master, I think I have much to discuss with you."

"Room of a Thousand Fountains?" she asked. Sascha nodded in assent. As they made their way to the expansive greenhouse, Aurine reflected that one thing that she liked about Sascha was that he was honest. Luminara at one point had declared him 'relentlessly honest' when he had confessed to some minor rule infraction that no one really cared about.

When she had asked Sascha about why he was always so honest, he had just said that he learned early on that he was a terrible liar, so honesty had always made sense to him. As his teacher and mentor, it was an excellent trait to have in a student and it was one of the reasons that she trusted him implicitly.

Aurine let Sascha take the lead once they entered the Room of a Thousand Fountains, a grandiose room where plants and trees from across the galaxy were grown together in harmony. It was said that each Jedi had a specific area of the Room of a Thousand Fountains that spoke to him or her, and for Sascha it was near one of the many waterfalls that dotted the lush greenhouse. Finding his favourite spot, Sascha curled into a relaxed position, his Padawan braid slapping lightly against the top of his right shoulder as he sat. Aurine sat across from him on a nearby rock and got comfortable, this conversation could be a long one.

"So Padawan, what happened last night?" asked Aurine.

Sascha sat stone still, a sign that he was organizing his thoughts, "First, I want to apologize for my actions last night. I was out of line. I got emotional over something very insignificant. I am sorry that my actions reflected badly on you." He looked down, "I was immature and my actions were not at all representative of how a Jedi should act, especially in public. I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate."

Aurine let a smile play across her face, "Padawan, I'm not particularly mad at you."

Sascha cautiously glanced up at her, "You...aren't?"

She shook her head, "No."

Sascha blinked, trying to decipher the quick turn this conversation had taken, "Why not?"

"Oh, you acted out of line last night," she said. "But you knew that immediately after you calmed down. Did you expect me to punish you by making you swim laps or something? Do you really think that I need to punish you for you to understand what you did wrong?"

Sascha still looked wary that he might be stepping into some sort of trap, "Not...really."

She smirked, amused at the earnestness of her apprentice, "Why don't you tell me what happened after I left."

"Well, I kind of wanted to talk about something with you first," said Sascha.

"What would you like to talk about, apprentice?"

He sighed, "During last night, I guess that I came to the realization that I'm not normal. And it bothers me more than it should. I always knew that being a Jedi made me different, I guess I didn't realize how different it made me."

Aurine nodded, "It's a lesson that I had to learn as well, Sascha. But don't be disheartened. You may be different but you can take pride in the fact that you are a Jedi."

"I do take pride in that," Sascha interrupted, "I was just surprised to see how big the difference was between a 'normal' person my age, and myself."

Aurine composed her thoughts for a second, "You have to realize that you don't have the same life experiences as someone that is raised outside of the Jedi Temple. For example, you didn't attend traditional schooling of any kind. You are different. That is simply the truth. Own it. Acknowledge it. Don't be afraid of it."

Sascha closed his eyes, obviously thinking deeply about what she had said. "I think if you had said those words to me a few days ago, I wouldn't have understood what you meant. Now I think I do."

"That is good, Sascha," she said, secretly pleased. "So, did anything interesting happen to you after I left?"

"Uh, a couple of interesting things," he said scratching his head nervously. "I kind of let my lightsaber get taken from me."

Aurine's heart raced a few beats faster, and her eyes darted to Sascha's right hip. Her heart resumed beating at its normal pace after she realized that his lightsaber was sitting in it's proper place. "How exactly did you 'let' this happen, Sascha?"

Sascha briefly described the situation. "Ultimately, it boiled down to a choice. And I chose to protect Ezah over protecting my lightsaber." Sascha raised his chin and looked at her confidently, "I made the right decision."

Aurine was taken slightly aback by her Padawan's display of confidence. Not that she minded. It was good for him to grow in confidence, as long as he didn't get overconfident. "If you can tell me in the cold light of day that you made the right decision, I'm going to believe you, Padawan."

Now Sascha is the one taken aback. His mouth hung open for a quick second before he bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you, Master."

"No thanks are needed, Padawan. I trust you. This is just me demonstrating it. So how did you get your lightsaber back?"

"Ezah and I tricked the Twi'leks that had taken my lightsaber, and she got it for me."

Aurine's eyebrows lifted, "You and Ezah?"

"Yeah," Sascha said, blushing slightly and looking downward, "She really helped me out last night."

Aurine Brynar did not need to be a detective to know how the rest of the night had played out. "So," she said casually, "Did anything happen between you and Ezah."

"Yes," admitted Sascha. "Well, no. Well...she proposed that we do something."

She almost laughed at how awkward Sascha was acting, but she doubted that would have been helpful for her apprentice. "Something?"

"Well...we went back to her room and she proposed that I uh, stay with her."

"And you turned her down?"

Sascha nodded, "Of course, Master. I told her that I was happy to be friends with her."

Aurine took a look to her right, appreciating the calm of the falling waterfall and the beauty of the flora around her. Then she dove into what she was sure would be an interesting conversation. "I am wondering Padawan, why you did not take Ezah up on her offer."

Sascha looked stunned, "Excuse me, Master?" he said, his voice shrill.

She shrugged casually, "She was a good looking young woman and she was clearly interested in you, yet you turned her down offer to stay the night. I am curious as to why."

"Because as a Jedi I can't have attachments," he stated stiffly.

Obviously Sascha thought he was on firm moral ground, but Aurine knows that he isn't. "Really," she replied skeptically, "You were going to become attached to Ezah because you stayed the night with her? Do you really thinks that is how attachment works?"

Her Padawan blushed into an even brighter shade of red, "It's possible isn't it?" he said, clearly attempting to avoid the question.

She leaned forward intently, "So you think kissing causes attachment?"

"I..well...yes," Sascha stammered.

Sascha's answer was so stupefyingly naive that Aurine had to close her eyes to think about what to say next. Perhaps taking it out of the theoretical and into the practical would make things clearer for Sascha. "Would you think less of me if you knew that I have kissed other men, other Jedi?"

Her Padawan looked away, "I...don't want to answer that question."

Aurine put a bit of durasteel into her voice, "Answer the question, Padawan."

Sascha still doesn't look at her, "Yes. I would think less of you."

She moved close to Sascha, putting a hand softly on his shoulder, "Sascha. Do you think I'm the only Jedi that has had sex?"

Upon hearing that dreaded three letter word, Sascha instantly recoiled from her touch. A moment later, herealized that he had massively overreacted. "Sorry," he apologized. Aurine put her hand on his shoulder again, and this time Sascha accepted the touch without reaction.

Her apprentice took a couple of deep breaths before smiling ruefully at her, "It's pretty clear that I'm out of my element here. Please educate me, Master."

There was the compliant Padawan that Aurine liked so much. You could push Sascha out of his comfort zone for a moment, but he would quickly find himself again. Sascha Whitestar was a student that loved to learn, even though he probably wasn't thrilled to be having this particular conversation. She wasn't thrilled to be having it either, but he was now sixteen and needed to be educated in this particular matter. She reflected back upon the lecture her Master had given her on this topic. She simply hoped that Sascha would absorb the lesson better than she had.

"You feel physical attraction for some of your fellow Jedi, yes?"

Sascha blushed slightly, but seemed far more in control of himself than he had previously, "Yes...there are a lot of cute girls around," he admitted.

"Well it's good to know that you aren't blind," she joked lightly. When one thought about it, and she had, the Jedi Temple was a pretty good place to ogle people. Everyone was in such good shape that it was pretty hard to find an unattractive Jedi.

Sascha laughed softly at her joke, "I'm a sixteen year old male, according to every holo I've watched, I'm apparently supposed to be thinking about girls constantly."

"And do you?"

"Not really. I mean its fun to fantasize. I try not to, but...it happens."

"You are such an honest teenager, Sascha."

Sascha smiled ruefully and shrugged, "I have a good mentor."

She flicked his elbow with her index finger, "You can't get out of this conversation by flattering me, Sascha." He nodded slightly and looked into her eyes, clearly encouraging her to continue. "So. You think that Jedi don't have...amorous encounters, do you?"

He rubbed the back of his head, "I would have thought not, but I suppose that I'm wrong. I would have thought that the Jedi Code would forbid it. There is no passion, there is serenity," he intoned.

Aurine nodded, "The Code is not really something that is meant to be taken literally. They are more of the...guiding principals of the Jedi Order, not the rules themselves."

He bowed his head politely, "Thank you for educating me on that."

"So. Sascha, do you think that physical intimacy leads to attachment?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Does it really?" she countered. "Luminara is my closest friend. She's like a sister to me. But do you think I have stronger feelings towards Luminara, or a male Jedi that I spent an amorous night or two with?"

Sascha thought about that question for a second before responding. "Aren't they like two different sorts of feelings? One is passion, one is friendship."

"They are both feelings that can be taken too far. Romantic feelings are powerful because they tend to be irrational," she admitted. "But my point was, attachment does not inherently come from physical intimacy, but from having an emotional connection to someone. No amount of passion filled nights are going to give me an emotional bond stronger than the one I have with my childhood best friend."

"I always thought attachment was about romantic feelings," Sascha confessed.

"Romantic feelings are complicated, and its best not to further complicate them by indulging them," she said. "It's easy to become attached that way, trust me on that one."

Sascha glanced at her, "I don't want to ask about that story, do I?"

She shrugged, "It's not one of the worst stories from my past, but the moral was simple. Strong feelings plus physical intimacy equals attachment. You don't want to make my mistake, trust me." She closed her eyes softly, the mistake that she had made was one that she would never make twice.

Her Padawan nodded amiably, "I suppose that is why it would be a bad idea for me to kiss, say, Tyra."

Aurine was very pleased to hear Sascha come to that conclusion. "That's exactly right, Sascha."

"What about someone like...say...Nara, that I'm friends with, but nowhere near the same level as Tyra."

"Sascha," she said, holding her arm out, "I'm not going to sit here and say 'It's okay with this person, but not with that person.' Use your judgment. If you want my opinion though, you should keep your friendships comfortably platonic, it is simply easier that way."

"Makes sense," he said, nodding in understanding. "But why even have sex? We are Jedi, we control our bodies."

Aurine resisted the urge to burst out laughing. That had been, quite possibly, the most naive question ever uttered by a Padawan. Still, she has enough control over herself to just grin slightly,"It's a release. You can't control everything inside of you. The whole order would go crazy if there was no way to release our pent up emotion. So we quietly make dalliances, but we don't let them become anything more than that. I don't have a boyfriend or anything formal like that. I have men that I like to, uh, be amorous with. But that is about as defined as our relationships are. I know these men that I have slept with are sleeping with other women. I accept that. In that way, I reject attachment."

Her apprentice shook his head, "But doesn't the Council know about this? They can't possibly approve."

"Sascha," she said, frustrated, "The Jedi Council gives missions to its members that see them go out of contact for months at a time. We are sent to mediate the worst conflicts in the Republic. It's kind of implied that if they trust you to do that, they trust you to manage your own sex life. The Council doesn't have the time to micromanage the lives of ten thousand Jedi. If they kicked out every Jedi that kissed a girl or boy, not only would the Jedi Order be very small, it would be a very unhappy group of Jedi as well."

"I...uh...suppose that makes sense," he stammered.

Feeling like that aside had been educational, Aurine wanted to return the focus back to her Padawan's actions from the previous night. "So, Sascha. I want to know why you didn't stay with Ezah last night. I know you well enough to know that you found her attractive."

Sascha rocked back and forth in his sitting position for a long moment before finally replying, "I just...I couldn't figure out why she was interested in me. She's beautiful…and I'm well...not. I thought it might be a trick, or a trap…I mean I know I'm a Jedi and that makes me interesting, but I couldn't understand why she would want anything more from me in a romantic way at least."

Her Padawan's answer is so heartbreaking it actually gives her pause for a moment, and it takes her another moment to calculate where she wants to take the conversation from here.

She settled on raw honesty. "Sometimes Sascha, I forget that for all your intelligence and skills you are still a sixteen year old, and you have the naivety of one." Sascha's mouth worked as if he is trying to find a reply, but she continues, "Ezah will not be the last female that will take an interest in you Sascha. Yes, maybe you aren't as handsome as your two Corelian friends are, but you have to be completely naïve to believe that you are unattractive to the opposite sex. No, maybe you won't ever have a modelling career, but you're not ugly and combined with the fact you are in excellent shape and a Jedi, there will be those that want nothing more than to see if a Jedi can kiss better than a non-Jedi."

Sascha continued to be stunned into silence, so she carried on, "I'm not saying that girls will be falling over themselves in the streets to kiss you, but it is something you need to be aware of, because as far as I could tell you were painfully unaware of it last night."

Gathering some semblance of composure, Sascha finally spoke, "In what way, Master?"

"I could tell immediately that Ezah took a liking to you, but because you could not even fathom the idea that she saw you in that way, you did not notice it. This is something you must do a better job of being aware of, it is another effect of being a Jedi. Some people want to fight us, merely because we are Jedi, these people are in some ways the opposite – they want to experience what love is like with a Jedi, but both must be dealt with in an appropriate manner."

"And you are saying I did not handle the situation correctly," Sascha surmised.

"No, Padawan, I am not saying that at all," she replied, frustration seeping into her voice, "I am saying that being _aware_ of what is happening around you is an important ability for a Jedi and that involves being aware of what different beings want from you."

The Jedi Knight watches her apprentice mentally grapple with this new information, before he nods, "Okay, so I should have been aware of Ezah's feelings towards me, I accept that, looking back she did spend an inordinate amount of time with me and that perhaps indicated that she wanted something more than friendship. But what should I have done? Ignored her? Stayed with her?"

Aurine smiled in a friendly manner, "I accept that you had some...misconceptions about how you were allowed to act with Ezah, but if you knew what you knew now, would you have done something differently?"

Sascha paused, clearly thinking about the question. "No," he said, "Although Ezah is very beautiful, I knew pretty much immediately that I didn't want to take her up on her offer."

She reached out and patted Sascha's arm lightly, "I think you made a very mature decision, Padawan. I'm pleased with the way you handled that situation. You found a way to say that you valued Ezah, but you turned down doing something that clearly made you uncomfortable, very few young people your age have that kind of ability. Most would have felt pressured to stay."

Her Padawan shook her head at her, incredulous, "After all this talk you about its okay to be physically intimate, you think I made a good decision with Ezah?"

"Yes. Just because I let you know that you won't be kicked out of the Jedi Order for kissing a girl, doesn't mean that you should find the first girl you find attractive and kiss her."

Her apprentice laughed at her scenario, "I don't think we have to worry about that."

She smiled fondly at her apprentice, "I know, Sascha. I just wanted you to understand that you don't have to repress these sorts of desires. Attachment is still a thing, and something to be mindful of, but I wanted you to know that if a situation like last night presented itself again, I wouldn't be upset if you made a different decision. Just make sure it is a decision that you are comfortable with."

There was still a bit of colour in Sascha's pale face as he responded, "I think that it might be a while before I'm comfortable enough for that level of, uh, physical behaviour."

She wrapped an arm around her Padawan, "That is absolutely fine, Sascha. Wait until you are comfortable. If you ever want to talk to me about this, or have me play matchmaker for you, just let me know."

Sascha pulled away from her chaste embrace, "Matchmaker?"

Aurine affixed a serious expression on her face, "Oh sure. I'll post your name on the Holonet and say that you are looking for a girl to be your first kiss. Once I sort through the millions of young women that would love to have that chance, I'll present you the top twenty selections. For a fee, of course."

Sascha tried desperately to keep a straight face, but he couldn't and burst out laughing. She joined in with his laughter a second later. After they both finished laughing Sascha bowed his head to her respectfully, "Thank you for this talk, Master."

"Thank you for being a receptive audience, Padawan."

Sascha stretched out, shaking himself out of the comfortable pose he had been in, "So what is the plan for today, Master? I'd love to do something to get my mind off of that discussion," he joked.

"A good idea, Padawan." Aurine looked around at the beautiful fauna around her. She was calm, at peace. The galaxy may have been a harsh place with much darkness in it, but today, right now, it felt like the light was shining down on her. "I think that considering I haven't quite recovered from the last blow to my ego that you gave me during our sparring match, that perhaps I'll educate you on technique today. But first, I think we'll meditate"

Sascha nodded amiably, "Lead on, Master Brynar."


	16. Chapter 15: An Unpleasant Return

**if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- I mean the rule against attachments still exists, but the idea that _every_ Jedi is totally chaste is just...wrong and completely impractical. Either you give people a little freedom to have fun, or people will do it anyway...but they'll be sneaking around to do it. This all being said, I don't think Sascha is ready for anything more than some kissing and cuddling - dude is an innocent teenager, kickass warrior or not.

I think Anakin actually kind of did get this kind of talk from Obi-wan, I mean Obi-wan isn't blind to the whole Anakin-Padme thing (he seems to know that Anakin is the father of her child in ROTS). Anakin didn't go bad because he banged Padme (or even loved her), he went bad because he can't handle loss (and to be fair his mother dies in his arms, his apprentice leaves him, and now his lover is going to die? That's a lot of loss for someone to deal with.)

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** Get that mind out of the gutter! Tyra just went home after the Musical, along with Nara. Trigg and Doro followed them home not long thereafter. Tyra's about to come back into the story (actually just writing more Tyra content just before I started editing this chapter).

A/N - So we've actually caught up to the prequel trilogy (finally). So in this chapter we are going to deal with a piece of Star Wars 'history' so to speak, letting our characters deal with the fallout from Episode 1. The big take aways are the death of Qui-Gon Jinn and the fact that the Sith are back. So we are going to see how the 'average' Jedi deals with this news.

I've also rewritten a lot of chapters around this part of the book, mostly because I think they were missing the emotional impact that they should have. Also I've added in more Obi-wan, because I think that is a thing that will be popular...

As always your reviews, favourites and follows are deeply appreciated!

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter!

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 **Chapter 15: An Unpleasant Return**

 _Three Weeks Later, Jedi Temple, Coruscant_.

Bad news traveled fast in the Jedi Temple, Aurine Brynar knew. The Jedi Order was an insular community, there were only around ten thousand Jedi in the whole order, a large number in theory, but once you started taking into account all the Jedi that were away on missions, or were stationed as a Jedi Watchman in sectors across the galaxy, the number dwindled rather quickly. Jedi were nomads in effect, many only returned to the Temple to rest, recuperate, train and be assigned new missions.

Jedi also liked to talk. It was something that would probably have surprised the average citizen of the Republic, but Jedi talked just as much if not more than any 'normal' person. In Aurine's opinion this was simply a quirk of being a Jedi. Almost as a rule, Jedi found it hard to form friendships with people outside of the Temple. It was true for her too. Her best friend was Luminara, and she also remained relatively close with her other clanmates and friends she had grown up with. Outside of the Temple she had a few acquaintances, but no one she would really call a friend.

As she and Sascha walked down one of the many wide, spacious corridors in the Jedi Temple, he leaned close to her, "So have you heard the rumours?"

"You'll have to be more specific, Padawan."

Sascha rolled his eyes, "Naboo, Master. Everyone is talking about it."

It had been impossible to ignore the news coming from Naboo, but the rumours that were flying across the Temple seemed unbelievable. A 9 year old blowing up a Trade Federation Droid Control ship? A battle in the streets of Theed being led by the reigning monarch of Naboo? Honestly, while no stranger to wild rumours, Aurine thought that these pushed the limit of credibility. The strange thing was, no one seemed to be able to contradict them.

"I heard about Master Qui-Gon," she said sadly.

The news of Qui-Gon's death had spread like wildfire, casting a mournful pall over the Jedi Temple. Qui-Gon Jinn had been more than just a powerful Jedi Master, he was known for his maverick ways in the Order. Many had dubbed him a 'gray Jedi,' though not because he straddled the line between the light and dark side, but because he had made a habit out of defying the Jedi Council. Few Jedi dared defy the Council these days, but Qui-Gon had been an example to a fair few younger Jedi Knights over his illustrious career. There was a certain irony in the fact that a large portion of the Council had departed to Naboo pay their respects at his funeral, no doubt Qui-Gon himself would have told them to get on with the business of protecting the Republic.

"Did you know him?" Sascha asked quietly

Aurine stopped walking, "A little. He was always kind with me, but we were never close." She faced her apprentice, "What do you know about him?"

Sascha shrugged his shoulders, "Only the basics I think. He was a Jedi Master that often butted heads with the Jedi Council. Other than that...all I know is rumours."

Aurine knew that there were many rumours surrounding Qui-Gon Jinn, which ranged from the completely benign to the rumour that his first apprentice had turned to the dark side. That rumour had always made her nervous for his _current_ apprentice. Or his former apprentice, she supposed now. "I suggest that you keep those rumours to yourself, Padawan. Do not talk ill of the dead."

Chagrined, even though he hadn't done anything wrong, Sascha looked at the floor, "Of course, Master."

Aurine began walking again and Sascha had to hurry to catch up with her, "Do you have any idea why this meeting was called, Master?" asked Sascha.

As far as Aurine could tell no one knew what was happening and why a meeting had been called. All that she could piece together was that many Jedi that had been close to Coruscant had been recalled to attend this special meeting, and that the Jedi Council had gotten back from Naboo only a few hours ago. Beyond that, she didn't know a damn thing. Yet, she suspected that the Jedi Council hadn't recalled so many Jedi and booked a meeting in the rarely used Grand Hall to read their latest fiscal report.

"What rumours have you heard, Padawan?" Foot traffic was increasing the closer they got to the Grand Hall. All around them, Jedi were talking quietly amongst themselves in small groups, probably trying to figure out the same thing she and Sascha were.

"I've heard some crazy theories," said her apprentice. "One was that the Jedi Order is going to be enlisted to investigate the Trade Federation." He frowned, "They were not supposed to have had a ground army like the one that invaded Naboo. Security forces, sure, but not a massive ground army with tanks and the like. An investigation must be done."

"That sounds like a task for the Judicials," Aurine opined, "Plus the Senate would have to vote on something like that. I doubt they'd take such an aggressive action."

Undeterred by the rumour being shot down, Sascha didn't even pause before supplying another rumour, "I also heard that it could be an announcement that the Jedi Council has finally allowed Master C'Baoth's _Outbound Flight_ project to begin. They called this meeting to ask for more volunteers."

Now Aurine rolled her eyes, "The Jedi Council has more than enough sense not to approve such an idiotic plan. There is no point in exploring the unknown region, with a bunch of Jedi Knights and Masters when there are so many problems in the Republic. Master C'Baoth can talk all he wants about finding new potential Jedi or finding new allies, but we need to deal with our own problems first." Starting with the very annoying Trade Federation, thought Aurine.

"I don't think that the Outbound Flight will ever get off the ground," opined Sascha, "It will be too expensive, and the Republic isn't exactly prone to opening its purse strings to pay for flights of fancy."

She and Sascha were now almost inside the Grand Hall, "I believe that it whatever this meeting is about, it has something to do with Naboo. The timing fits."

Sascha looked a tad confused, "But what could have happened on Naboo, that would have warranted all this meeting, but not be covered by the Holonet? The Holonet has been filled with articles and stories about Naboo, but none of them seem to have much import beyond the fall of the Trade Federation."

Her apprentice's logic was sound. "Whatever it is, I don't think it will be good news," she said.

Finally the two Jedi crossed beneath the arched entryway and emerged into the Grand Hall proper. A huge, sweeping room with large windows on one side, the Grand Hall was sparsely populated with furniture, just a small podium and stage at the front, and elevating rows of benches for Jedi to sit on. It was a typical Jedi room, no creature comforts, everything built for maximum practicality.

Aurine's raked the room and she quickly spotted Luminara off to the side of the room, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Deciding that she would like to sit with her friend during...whatever this was, she and Sascha made their way over to the Miralian. Luminara noticed their approach and snapped out of her daydreaming, offering both of them a tiny smile, "Hello Aurine, Sascha."

"Greetings, Master Luminara," said Sascha

"Hello Luminara," she said, "Still have no idea why this meeting was called?"

Luminara smoothed her robe out, "I know parts of the story now, but not all the details."

Aurine crossed her arms across her chest, "Okay, so start filling me in on all the parts of the story that I don't know."

A sad smile appeared on her friend's face, "Sorry old friend, I've been sworn to secrecy." The Miralian's tattooed lips creased into a thin line, "I can tell that today is a momentous day in our history...for all the wrong reasons."

That was quite an auspicious phrase from Luminara. "Sascha, can you go and find a place for us to sit?" she asked her Padawan.

Sascha glanced at the maybe half-full rows of benches, obviously trying to decipher why he was being sent away. He then shrugged slightly to himself, "Of course, Master."

She waited until Sascha was out of earshot before speaking, "Did you hear anything about Obi-wan?"

Luminara nodded, "You'll have to get used to calling him Master Kenobi."

A tiny gasp escaped her lips, "They finally promoted him? I wasn't aware he was doing his trials."

The Miralian looked inquisitive, "I wasn't aware that you had talked to him recently."

That stung, "Okay, I haven't talked to him since, well, for a while. But I still try to keep track of his career."

Luminara started walking up the stairs towards where Sascha was sitting, "All I know is that he's now a Knight, I have no idea where the suddenness of his promotion has come from. However there is no question that he's deserving of Knighthood."

"He's been deserving for many years," she replied, a little harsher than she had intended.

"Who has been deserving?" said Sascha.

"One day you will learn to not listen in to my conversations, Sascha," she said, as she went to his side and sat down. Luminara claimed the other spot beside her.

"Sorry, Master."

She was about to open her mouth, when Luminara spoke up, "We shall need to save this conversation for another time, it looks like the meeting is starting."

It was true. The Twelve members of the Jedi Council had filed into the room and had taken up positions around the lectern. The remaining Jedi that had not yet taken their seats quickly scurried for the closest seats available.

With the twelve members of the Jedi Council at the front of the room, the room quieted without a signal. An eerie silence held as the assembled Jedi waited for someone to begin this meeting. With so many Jedi in a small area, the Force felt unusually strong, but it was tinged with apprehension and maybe just a little bit of fear.

Mace Windu stepped forward, in and of itself sending a message about the nature of this meeting, the intense, dark-skinned Windu was the Master of the Jedi Order but was also a warrior at heart. In comparison, Council Members like Yoda and Adi Galia were more known for their diplomacy.

Mace gripped the podium with his hands, staring out into the crowd of assembled Jedi, "As many of you know, we lost one of the greatest members of our Order on Naboo. Master Qui-Gon Jinn has become one with the Force," Windu said solemnly.

Aurine noticed some of the Jedi around her shifted uncomfortably, and she heard their unspoken question, 'Did we really get recalled just for this?'

Master Windu continued as if he hadn't seen anyone react to his opening statement, "While each we will each mourn Master Qui-Gon in our own way, his cause of death was why we have brought you together today. Qui-Gon was killed by a Force user of substantial skill."

That statement perked up the room. While the Jedi did not exactly have a monopoly on Force users, it was a rare thing to find a non-Jedi that had enough skill to defeat a Jedi Master like Qui-Gon Jinn. Perhaps, reasoned Aurine, Qui-Gon had stumbled upon a new group of dark-side cultists. Groups of such Force users popped up every now and again, and every time the Jedi would descend upon them and eliminate their threat.

Mace continued to stare outwards at the crowd, "After analyzing the facts surrounding Qui-Gon's death, we have come to a startling conclusion, the Sith have returned."

Aurine shook her head slowly. The Sith? There had to be some mistake, the Sith had been gone for a millennia. Sure, there were rumours of a Darth Whoever popping up on some planet, but they were just rumours, and easily dismissed as such.

The Sith Order in the distant past had almost eradicated the Jedi Order on several different occasions and there had been a number of Sith-Jedi wars that had devastated the galaxy. They were supposedly defeated in the climactic battle on Ruusan, and their entire order eradicated, if they had come back…it could be the end of the so-called Golden Age of the Republic that they were supposedly living in.

All around her, Jedi were taking the news in different ways. Some took the news stoically, simply waiting for Mace to continue. Others were discussing this news loudly, and a few brave souls were shouting questions at Mace to answer. Sascha was shocked, she could tell, he had not moved since the announcement. On the other side of her, Luminara was evaluating the reactions of the Jedi around her.

Over the rising din, a question was starting to be heard over and over again, "What happened to this 'Sith?'"

Mace gestured to the slender young man that was on the far side of one of the first rows of seats. "Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated this Sith, and in the old tradition, he has been promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight." A small smile appeared on her lips upon seeing Obi-wan again. While Obi-wan was a year younger than she was, their paths had crossed on several memorable occasions. Aurine had always known that Obi-wan was destined for greatness.

"How to we know this mysterious warrior was a Sith?" shouted someone. Several other Jedi shouted that they too wanted that question answered. She, Sascha and Luminara remained silent.

Mace held a hand up, appealing for quiet. Silence returned quickly to the Grand Hall. "Over the past hundred years," Mace began, "The Jedi Council became aware that the Sith were not extinct as we once thought that they were. Attempts to infiltrate into this new Sith Order have been largely unsuccessful. What we do know is that the Sith now believe in a 'rule of two' where there is only two Sith at a time, a Master and an Apprentice."

Gentle murmuring broke out amongst the assembled Jedi, some in dissatisfaction that the Jedi Council had withheld the information about the Sith, others in discussion about what the news portended. Noticing that Sascha was still sitting in stunned silence, she nudged his arm lightly, "How are you doing Sascha?"

"I…don't know Master," Sascha replied without emotion, "It's a lot to take in."

Aurine decided that her apprentice would be fine. He just needed a few moments to collect himself. Heck, she needed a few more minutes to collect herself. The Sith were back? It seemed impossible.

"Will it be war?" came another shouted question. Aurine shuddered slightly at the thought of trying to convince the recalcitrant Republic into a war with an unknown enemy. The Jedi were the military wing of the Republic as much as they tried to project an image of being peacekeepers, but the Republic itself had only a small navy and a non-existent army. It was an unneeded expense really, as the Jedi had shown repeatedly, they were more than capable of dealing with any enemy threat. Mandalorians? Soundly defeated at Galidraan, as misguided as that mission had turned out to be. The Yinchorri? Beaten back with a handful of losses. Ten thousand Jedi were all the army that the Republic needed…unless these Sith had something like a secret flotilla of Battleships...that would be a different story.

Yoda stepped forward, joining Mace at the front of the room. As the wizened Jedi Grand Master could not use the podium, Yoda simply hobbled forward on his gimer stick until he reached the front of the stage. Silence broke out, a mark of respect for the revered Jedi Grand Master, "Try to determine this, we must," said Yoda. "Our sworn enemy, the Sith are. Their intentions, we must seek."

Mace nodded gravely, "Once we realized what we were dealing with, we have put plans in action." Mace folded his hands on the podium, "We are going to be emptying the Temple of Jedi. We are going to temporarily move our focus from peacekeeping to tracking down these Sith. We will hunt every every clue, every rumour. No stone will remain unturned. We need to know why the Sith have chosen now to show themselves."

Mace closed his eyes for a brief second, "We have been lax in attempting to hunt down these rumours in the past. This must now be rectified. Some of the missions we are asking you to undertake will be dangerous, they will involve setting foot in places and on worlds that we have avoided. No doubt, these are hard times, dangerous times, for our Order. We are sending you into the unknown, but the information you bring back will be invaluable in determining our opposition."

The dark skinned Korun began to pace, "Some of you here have been teachers at the Temple for many years now, being content to teach the next generation of Jedi. But today we need to call on many of you, your wisdom and experience is what we need now, more than ever. Each of you will be assigned a task, which we expect you to carry out to the best of your ability."

Good, Aurine thought, a mission, it was always nice to leave the Temple, and whether or not she was at full strength, she would rather be on the front lines, trying to find the Sith. She would certainly prefer that than waiting here.

Mace finished the briefing quickly, promising that updates would be sent from the Council if any new developments were to occur. As Mace left the podium, a certain professional determination had broken out amongst the various Jedi, overcoming the shocking news that had just been delivered. All of them had been trained for this. Sure, none of them may have thought that the Sith may return in their lifetime, but they would meet the challenge head on. They were Jedi, there wasn't a challenge they would back down from, or an enemy that they feared.

Mace made a last plea to the assembled Jedi, "We must ask that you keep this information within the walls of this Temple. To the general public, the Sith are a rumour, and it is better if they remain as such. We do not want we do not want panic. May the Force be with us," Mace declared, unofficially ending the meeting.

"What do we do now?" asked Sascha, his expression still blank.

That was a very good question. "Let's grab lunch and talk about it," she said for lack of a better idea.

Luminara stayed quiet, but the Miralian was the first to get out of her seat. The little group of Jedi stayed quiet as they walked to the refectory. Once were they were inside, the three of them grabbed a table at the edge of the room.

"We forgot to get anything to eat," Sascha pointed out.

"I'm not really hungry," she said.

"Me either," said her apprentice.

Luminara withdrew her datapad from somewhere in her long dress and placed it on the table, "If you wish, I can tell you what your assignments will be."

Aurine felt her eyes narrow, "How would _you_ know what _our_ assignments are going to be, Luminara?"

"I was consulted," Luminara said simply. "I believe that the Council has spent some time in figuring out assignments for everyone."

"And they asked you for your opinion on us?" she inquired.

The Miralian looked somewhat embarrassed, "Not the Council specifically, no. But Jedi that they have tapped to lead these important missions did consult me."

Aurine gestured impatiently, "Well, get on with it then."

Luminara shot her a disapproving look before she turned to Sascha, "Padawan, you'll be part of the research team working from within the Temple. Master Jocasta asked for your availability specifically, it seems like she has quite a high opinion of you."

Some emotion finally entered Sascha's face, "I'm always happy to help out Master Jocasta."

Aurine was partially relieved that her apprentice was getting a mission that would see him safely ensconced within the walls of the Temple. While Sascha was a good apprentice, frankly his martial skills were not up to the appropriate standard for his age. She was working with him in improving, but there was only so much she could do. "You'll do well, Sascha."

Before Sascha could respond, his comlink rang. He excused himself from the table and answered the call. He came back a half a minute later, looking apologetic, "That was Master Jocasta. She . ?docid=47322483ts me to report to the Temple Library as soon as possible."

"Then go, Sascha," she said in a dismissive tone. Sascha glanced briefly at Luminara, then nodded to her and hustled out the door, his grey robe flapping slightly behind him as he moved.

Once Sascha was out the door, Luminara looked at her, displeased, "You were almost rude with your apprentice, Aurine. He's done nothing wrong."

"I'm not angry with him Luminara. I just...I guess I haven't let the news fully sink in yet."

Luminara rapped her fingers on the table, "It is distressing news to say the least. The fact that the return of the Sith has been kept from us has made me see the Jedi Council in a different light. I had always assumed that something that monumental would have been shared more openly."

Aurine shrugged, "I assume that it was kept from us to prevent a panic. Frankly, I don't care what the Council chooses to keep from us."

Luminara shook her head, "For an intelligent young woman, you certainly don't have much curiosity."

"I know what I am Luminara. I'm a Jedi Knight. That's all I am and all I've ever wanted to be."

"If that is what makes you happy, Rini."

The use of her childhood nickname made her smile, like usual, "Why don't you tell me what my assignment is?"

"You aren't going to like it," Luminara said, taking her datapad off of the table and pressing a few buttons on it. Then she passed the datapad over to her.

Aurine quickly scanned the words on the datapad. As she expected, it was a message detailing her assignment. She expected to be assigned to a mission, probably piloting a ship, she thought, as like her Padawan she was a talented pilot. However as she read it became clear that this was not the case. She was horrified to see that she had been assigned to stay on Coruscant, teaching several classes on behalf of several Knights and Masters that were usually teachers but had been given missions. No, this can't be right, all these Jedi putting their lives at risk and she was going to be teaching younglings?

"You are unhappy with your assignment." Luminara stating the obvious like usual.

She gestured wildly, "Of course I'm unhappy! I should be out there with my fellow Knights. I'm a fighter, a warrior, Luminara, this is what I do, and now I'm being left behind!"

"You are not fully recovered," Luminara stated matter-of-factly, "Bringing you on a mission would only put other Jedi at risk."

"And who made the determination that I was not at full health? Master Che? Please Luminara, you know that she underestimates me, let's go together and get me a real mission, I don't want to be teaching younglings!"

"I made the call, Aurine," the Mirialan replied calmly.

"You WHAT!" she nearly yelled at her friend.

Luminara ignored her outburst, "When Master Galia asked about you, I told them the truth, that you were not ready for a mission. I asked Sascha's opinion on the matter, he did not know what it was about of course, but he believes that you are not fully recovered and so does Vokara Che." Luminara shrugged languidly, "But if you think they are both wrong we could find a sparring arena and maybe if you beat me it would change my mind."

Aurine growled, she probably couldn't beat Luminara on her best day, and not being at full strength she had no chance, she knew. She changed tactics, "That's pretty low Luminara, going behind my back and asking my Padawan about my health."

The Mirialan met her fierce gaze intently, "He messages me constantly you know, he frets that you push yourself too hard and that you'll hurt yourself. He tries to slow you down, but you brush him off…you intimidate him, you know." Arguing with Luminara was like arguing with a durasteel wall, worse actually, you could dent durasteel, Luminara was implacable.

Aurine took a deep, calming breath trying to sort out her emotions, as always by purging her emotions, she saw the issues clearer. "You couldn't have gotten me a better assignment then teaching younglings, Luminara?"

Luminara actually smiled at her, "Sorry, old friend. Perhaps I could ask if they'll swap your assignment with Sascha's, he's a good teacher you know."

"And get stuck in the Archives? I said I wanted a _better_ assignment, Luminara."

The two laughed briefly, their friendship had always been strong, even though they were two very different people.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," she said.

The Miralian glanced downwards, "Maybe that will make us even for me almost getting your Padawan killed on Kuat."

"That wasn't your fault," she replied.

Luminara shrugged off her retort, Aurine knew that her Mirlalian friend had been deeply affected by her decisions almost getting Tyra and Sascha killed, but like her Padawan, she had forgiven her. Now was not the time or place to open up that particular wound though, "Where are you going on your assignment Luminara?"

The Mirialan hesitated for a split second, "Korriban," she said. An icy fist wrapped around Aurine's heart. Korriban was the ancient homeworld of the Sith, it had been considered to be abandoned, but the Sith had been considered extinct as well. The fact that her best friend was going to travel to the homeworld of the Sith and she would be safe in the Temple teaching younglings struck her as manifestly unfair.

"I'm not going alone Aurine," the Mirialan said, clearly sensing the distress that she was feeling.

Aurine carefully purged her fear for her friend from her psyche, "Sorry, I guess my Padawan is not the only one that has been affected by this news. The Republic isn't strong Luminara, neither is the Jedi Order. I know you can accuse me of not being curious, but I've looked at the numbers of Jedi within our ranks – our numbers keep dwindling and they aren't going to be rising any time soon."

Luminara sighed softly, "I know Aurine, perhaps we have been complacent but now, hopefully things will change. We have a new Chancellor, and he seems very interested in rooting out the corruption in the Senate. If he were to get the Senate functioning like it should be, perhaps things will get better."

Fat chance, she thought to herself, "Well, I guess I need to start working on lesson plans," Aurine said, "May the Force be with you Master Unduli, I need you to come back from Korriban, if only to keep teaching Sascha that terribly boring style of lightsaber combat you both somehow prefer."

Luminara smirked back at her; they had verbally sparred for years about Luminara's preference for Soresu, and now with Sascha also looking to master that style, Aurine had turned to her good friend to teach him the finer points of the form. "May the Force be with you too Master Brynar, I hope that we will be able to go on another mission together soon."

Luminara turned and left, leaving Aurine Brynar to consider a new reality, one that now included the re-emergence of the Sith. She didn't like this new development, not one bit.


	17. Chapter 16: Conversations

**if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- I got three reviews for the price of one! LOL.  
I really wish I had more spots to include Luminara. She still pops up now and then, but the story kind of drifts away from her, which is a shame because I like both Luminara and the Aurine/Luminara friendship (female friendships with absolutely no rivalry are far too rare). Yeah more Obi-wan! Aurine and Obi are going to have a past, but one that could conceivably fit into Obi's current cannon. Still I think there is much to explore with Obi-wan's character in this particular moment, he's just lost his Master and taken on Anakin.

 **Lord Darth Yoda -** It's funny because I absolute hate C'Baoth as a character...but I enjoy name dropping him. What the Jedi actually know about the Sith is actually kind of up in the air. The brilliant novel _Darth Plagueis_ talks about how the Jedi kind of know the Sith is back. Plus at the end of Phantom Menace, Mace and Yoda basically just say they know the Sith are back, and talk about the rule of two. So clearly they knew something was up before Maul showed up.  
Also, you are scarily good at predicting things. We are going to deal with a clan Dragon/Anakin rivalry (in a few books as I need Anakin to not be nine years old for there to be any sort of rivalry.)

A/N - So, I kind of wrote this chapter in three days...and boy is it a doozy. It's looong (probably too long), and angst-filled (oh boy). But this was a chapter that really begged to be rewritten, so I just had to do it. Unfortunately my time to edit was pretty limited (hey, I wrote 5k words in 3 days!) Though thankfully most of teen angst stuff will be confined to this chapter, so those of you that aren't fans angsty stuff will be pleased to know we'll be dealing with a Chosen One and his teacher in the next chapter.

As always your reviews, favourites and follows are deeply appreciated!

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter!

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 **Chapter 16: Conversations**

If there was one thing that Aurine Brynar was not built for, it was teaching. It had never been something that she had enjoyed; for one thing, she just lacked the patience to deal with younglings for hours on end. Dealing with Sascha was hard enough, and he was essentially a young adult. Dealing with younglings who could go from 'polite' to 'rambunctious' in two point three seconds was not exactly her forte.

Another reason she avoided teaching was that she wasn't one of those people who communicated her knowledge well, especially in a classroom setting. Teaching seemed simple in theory, but it was much harder in practice.

In contrast, her apprentice was an excellent teacher. She had once watched Sascha teach a class on ethics on a request by Master Galia. Though he had only been a few years older than his students, he commanded the room easily and had given a very good lecture. Afterwards, during a lively debate, he had been able to weave questions asked by one student into further illuminating his main lesson. Sascha's nearly infinite patience and general affability meant that students were unafraid to ask him questions, and through their questions being answered, all learned.

Aurine however, was not her Padawan.

Sascha was currently in the Temple Library, helping out a small team of researchers as the numerous Jedi teams tried to track down any lead that could be used to determine what, if anything, the Sith were up to. Sascha had thrown himself into his new assignment with apparent relish, she hadn't even seen him since lunch.

Deciding that she needed a break from planning her lesson, and some more caffeine to help her do so, she exited her room and almost collided with a young Jedi Padawan.

"Apologies, Master Brynar," said a vaguely familiar voice.

"Tyra...were you waiting outside my door?" she asked, incredulous. The young woman looked uncharacteristically nervous, usually Tyra Harker was a confident young woman, if a bit intense. But right now she looked positively uncomfortable.

"Um...Can I talk with you, Master Brynar."

Aurine jerked a thumb down the hall, "I was just about to get some caf, why don't you join me?"

"Oh," said Tyra, brushing away a strand of hair from her face, "I kind of wanted to talk to you in private."

Aurine really wanted to be left alone with her thoughts and her lesson planning, but there was something about the way that Tyra was holding herself that made her discard those thoughts. She put a comforting arm around the girl, and led her back inside her room, shutting the door behind them. "I'd pull up a chair but...you know," she said, gesturing around her small room. Outside of her bed and a small workstation, there wasn't exactly a lot of furniture in her room.

Tyra offered her a shaky smile, "It's okay, I'll stand."

Aurine leaned against the wall, "How can I help you, Padawan Harker?"

Tyra looked down and gathered her composure, "I'm going to find Sascha and tell him that I love him," she said in a strong, unwavering tone.

Aurine blinked, "I'm sorry, what?"

Tyra looked at her with her usual intense expression, "I'm going to tell Sascha how I really feel about him."

"Is that really a good idea?"

Tyra shook her head, "It's not about it being a good idea or a bad idea, its simply something I need to do. I can't live with myself if I don't tell him how I feel."

First the Sith returning, now this conversation. Could this day get any crazier? "Okay, before you do that, why don't we sit and talk about this?" she said in a calm tone. She sat and indicated that Tyra should do the same. Reluctantly, the young girl sat down across from her. "I understand having feelings for someone, trust me, I do. But your timing could not be worse."

Tyra took a deep breath, "Master Brynar, I came to you to tell you what I'm going to do because I thought that you should know. I'm not going to be deterred by anything you say here."

It only took one glance to see that Tyra's words were true. Tyra was a slender dagger of a young woman, all sinewy muscle and focused intensity. There was a softness to her, if you knew where to look for it. Often it would display itself when she was with Sascha, but right now her guard was up. Aurine needed to lower those defences for a moment and converse with the thoughtful young woman underneath the tough exterior.

"I can't stop you," she said. "I _won't_ stop you." She smiled a little, "In fact I thought this day would come much sooner."

Tyra's expression twisted into one of incredulity, "You knew I loved your apprentice?"

"Tyra," Aurine said in a quiet, comforting tone, "I was once a young woman like yourself. In some ways I was very much like you. Do you not think I can see when someone is pining desperately for someone else?"

The intense brown eyes of Tyra Harker were clouding over in confusion. Aurine guessed that she had planned this conversation out in her head beforehand, and had expected it to go a certain way. Now that it wasn't, she was hoping that Tyra would be open to her imparting some wisdom.

Tyra managed a chagrined look, "I guess I thought I was being secretive about the whole thing." Then Tyra's expression hardened again, "It doesn't matter though. I'm going to tell him."

"Then go," she said, gesturing to the door, "Sascha is in the library. But you didn't need me to tell you that. Your comlink isn't mysteriously broken. You wanted to talk to me." Aurine let her legs slide out in front of her, "So, lets talk." Tyra's face was all stony defiance, but in the Force, Aurine sensed a degree of confusion in the young girl.

Finally, Tyra's expression broke, "Okay. I'll tell you why I'm doing it now." Tyra looked past her and towards her far wall. "Kuat was a real eye opener for me. I never realized how much I cared about Sascha until...until it seemed like he was going to be taken from me." She managed a sheepish look, "I guess I had loved him for some time, I just hadn't realized it."

"Falling in love happens to all Jedi, whether they admit it or not," said Aurine.

"I know," said Tyra quietly. "But once I realized the truth, I just couldn't put these feelings back where they had been. Every time I saw him since that day on Kuat, I just wanted to shout, 'I love you,' throw my arms around him and kiss him. I never had the courage to do so." Tyra laughed bitterly, "It's ironic, I can throw myself into battle despite knowing the odds are against me, and that I probably won't survive. But talking to Sascha about what is true? That was too much."

"I understand pretty much all of that," she said sympathetically. "But why tell him now?"

"I was offered a mission today. Called in front of the whole Jedi Council and everything. They explained in detail why this mission was being offered to me, and what it entailed. This mission is so secretive, so dangerous, that even my Master was not allowed to know the specifics." Tyra laughed, "Master Windu almost had to physically restrain Master Nal'ma. I always thought that because my Master was aloof, that he didn't care about me. I've only seen recently how much I was wrong."

Tyra shook her head, "My mission will take me out of the Temple, and I'll be gone for...a long time. At least a year. Hell, there is a good chance that I don't come back at all. There is a good chance this is the last conversation we will ever have, Master Brynar." Tears formed at the edge of Tyra's eyes, "I can face the worst in the galaxy. I know that about myself. I just...can't do it unless I tell Sascha how I feel about him. He has to _know_. I have to tell him. My life is incomplete unless I tell him."

Aurine sat still, stunned. "Have you considered how Sascha is likely to react to you telling him?" she asked carefully.

"Only every waking hour for the last few months," Tyra said seriously. The young Padawan sighed, "I know I'm going to blindside him with this, and I don't think my life is a fairy tale. When I tell him about my feelings, I'm pretty sure he's not going to exclaim in happiness, pick me up off the ground and kiss me. I'm ninety-nine percent sure this ends with my heart being broken, but on that one percent chance that it doesn't..." Tyra trailed off.

Now was time for the imparting of wisdom, Aurine thought. "Tyra. I sympathize with you. I've fallen for boys too. Fallen hard. Made decisions that cost myself friendships. I know that this feels important, like its the only thing that really matters," Aurine glanced away, remembering mistakes she had made with a certain other Padawan. "Eventually, feelings fade, and you'll be able to go back to the way things were – but if you tell him how you feel right now, you will put your friendship at risk."

Tyra paled a little at the idea of losing Sascha's friendship but she recovered quickly, "I don't think my feelings for him will go away, Master Brynar. You know the bond that Sascha and I have. It exists in the Force – I can feel it, even now. He's...special to me, he'll always be special to me. Besides, Sascha confessed his feelings for me when he was younger and our friendship survived, I don't think this will be different."

"Tyra, there is a slight between confessing to a crush at fourteen, and telling someone that you _love_ them at sixteen."

Tyra blushed slightly, "I suppose. But even if things don't work out, I know we'll still be friends. It feels like these feelings are a curse you know? I was so much happier with my life when I thought of Sascha as just a friend, instead of as the boy of my dreams."

Aurine took stock of this conversation. While she had known that one day Tyra would inevitably confess her feelings towards her apprentice, she had thought that Tyra would have been a bit more...rational about the whole thing. The obvious truth of the matter was that Tyra was not going to be convinced to change her mind, only delayed. But there was one last thing she wanted to say to the young Padawan.

Aurine looked at Tyra, putting what she hoped was a motherly expression on her face, "You know are going to hurt Sascha."

The young Padawan looked defiant, "I would never do anything to hurt Sascha."

Frustration entered her voice, "Tyra, telling him what you are going to tell him is going to hurt him. There isn't some 'happily ever after' scenario that can play out," she said, putting emphasis behind her words. "The only certainty about the talk you'll have with Sascha is that someone's feelings will be hurt, and badly."

Tyra looked downcast, "I know. I just...need this. Maybe I'm being selfish. Maybe I think that there should be a place in the Jedi Order for two people who love each other. Everything about this feels so right."

Alarmed, Aurine strove for a neutral tone, "Tyra, you fell to the dark side to protect Sascha on Kuat. You're acting irrational right now. I hate to say this, because I think you two have a beneficial friendship, but right now he's a bad influence on you – as long as you have these feelings for him."

Tyra seemed stricken, "Maybe." Tyra swayed in her seated position, "I just have to do this. Even if it's not logical. I just won't be able to say sane if I don't know his answer."

Aurine bowed her head in defeat, "Go. Talk to him. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Tyra stayed seated, "Look, there was one more thing I wanted to say." The young girl took a deep breath, "If something horrible happens to me, you'll have to be there for Sascha. I need you to promise me that whatever happens, Sascha will become a Jedi Knight."

A lump formed in Aurine's throat, "I've already pledged that I would see Sascha will become a Jedi Knight." Aurine took out her lightsaber and held it out in front of her, "By my word as a Jedi Knight, I solemnly promise that Sascha will fulfill his potential and become a Jedi Knight."

Tyra nodded nervously, "Thank you, Master Brynar. Take care of my Sascha, please."

"I intend to."

Tyra bowed her head, and rose.

Before she could go, Aurine stood and clasped the smaller girl's shoulder, "May the Force be with you, Tyra Harker."

"I really hope it is," said Tyra. The young Jedi visibly pulled herself together and left her room without a further word being spoken. Aurine got up and paced her small room, "Sometimes being a Jedi is way too damn hard," she said to her empty room. She shook her head and tried to focus on making lesson plans. Somehow teaching younglings didn't seem as important as a conversation that was about to happen.

* * *

Sascha blinked his eyes, trying to get them to focus on the words on the screen. He had been reports for hours and Jedi or no, he was reaching his mental limit. He stood from his chair, wobbling slightly on unsteady legs. From his study spot within the Jedi Library, he could see the small group of Jedi researchers that Master Jocasta was overseeing. He knew most of the Jedi by sight – his favourite research partner was Lorana Jinzler, a young Jedi that reminded him of Tyra, without any of his friend's trademark intensity and self-confidence.

Sascha found Master Jocasta helping another Jedi with his research. "Master Jocasta, I'm going to take a break for a bit," he said.

The elderly Jedi looked at him and smiled, "You can take the rest of the night off, Sascha. There will be plenty to do in the morning."

Sascha shook his head, "Nah, I'll be back, if only just to clean up my station." His workstation was strewn with holobooks and spare datapads in what appeared to be no order, but in his head he knew where everything was. Yet it he let someone else clean it up, he'd have to find all his materials again the next morning. Sascha walked towards the exit of the Jedi Library. When he got there he saw a familiar face approaching. "Hi Tyra."

Tyra smiled at him, "Thought you could use a break."

"Your timing is impeccable. I was just taking a break."

Tyra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Can we find somewhere and talk? I have some...things I want to tell you."

The odd nature of his friend's request gives him pause for a second, but he knows it has been a trying day for everyone. Tyra probably just wanted to talk to him about the return of the Sith, "Lead on, friend."

Sascha wasn't really paying attention to where they were walking, so he was more than a little surprised when he looked around and he was in the section of the Temple that housed the sparring chambers. "Uh, Tyra, I'm not really in the mood to spar."

"Neither am I," she said, "But I wanted a place to talk that would be empty."

Sascha shrugged to himself, and followed Tyra into an empty chamber. Once inside he walked a couple of steps and laid down, staring up into the muted lights of the room. "What a day," he said quietly.

He heard Tyra sit across from him, "Pretty crazy, huh?" she said. "Who could have ever predicted the Sith would be back?"

"Not me," he said. Sascha sat up, and looked at Tyra. His friend was fiddling with her hair, seeming rather nervous. Probably just freaked out about the Sith, he decided.

"I think, for me, it put a bunch of things in perspective," said Tyra. She sighed and leaned back, "I think it is finally time for me to tell you what happened to me on Kuat."

Sascha felt his eyebrows raise. Finally, more than a month after their mission to Kuat, she was finally going to open up to him? "I thought I'd never find out," he joked softly.

"I kinda wished that I'd never have to tell you."

He smiled at her. It was so easy to smile at Tyra, she was just this sort of...fixture in his life, one that would always be there for him. "You can always talk to me Tyra. I'm happy just to be here for you." He looked up at the ceiling, feeling at peace at the first time since the meeting this morning.

"Well..." started Tyra. She stopped, took a deep breath and started again, "On Kuat...I fell to the dark side."

Sascha Whitestar felt like his heart may have actually stopped for a couple of beats. His mind went from active, enjoying spending time with this best friend, to completely and utterly blank. He shook his head and tried to say something, anything, because that is what people did in these situations, they found the right words to console their friend. Unfortunately for Sascha, when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

Tyra stared at the ground, perhaps not even noting his distress, "I fell to the dark side because at the end when you were wounded, I basically would have given anything to save you, and I did. I lost my way, I gave up who I was to save you. I didn't fall to the dark side for long, you...actually appeared to me and pulled my back to the light side."

Sascha found his voice again, "I appeared to you?"

Tyra looked at him beseechingly, "I heard your voice in my head, even though you were unconscious. I don't know if it was a Force thing, or a 'my subconscious going crazy' thing, all I know was that your voice kept me from losing myself totally."

Though his mind was still churning rather slowly, stunned by this revelation, he was starting to feel kind of...angry towards Tyra, which was quite possibly the first time he had ever felt that way. "You wanted to protect me so badly that you fell to the dark side? While I think I appreciate the sentiment..." He stood, clenching his fists at his side, "No, I don't appreciate the sentiment, actually. Tyra, using the dark side is the WORST thing a Jedi can do! And to say you were doing it on my behalf! Just...why, Tyra?"

Tyra, still seated on the floor, looked up at him in tears in her eyes, "It's because I love you, Sascha."

Sascha's legs just about collapsed under him. Had he heard Tyra correctly? She loved him? Tyra? "I...I..."

His fellow Padawan shifted towards him, "I love you Sascha Whitestar. I think I have for some time. Only on Kuat did I realize it."

He inched back away from Tyra, "I...don't know what to say."

Tyra looked away, "It's okay." She looked back at him, her brown eyes searching out his, "I suppose it's too much to hope that these feelings of mine are...mutual."

"Tyra, I thought we agreed on the idea that we would be like siblings! Siblings don't fall in love with each other!"

Tyra got up, took a few steps away from him and then sunk to her knees, sobbing.

Oh, Force, what had he just said to Tyra? Sascha Whitestar decided that he had said completely the wrong thing, and he racked his mind on how to fix what he had done. He went over to Tyra's side, but for the first time in his life he was afraid to physically comfort his best friend. Instantly, he was sad for the very platonic, perfect friendship that no longer existed. "Tyra..."

Tyra cut him off, her voice husky, strained, "No, you are right. Like usual. We decided that we would be like siblings, but I couldn't manage it. You were always the perfect Jedi. The Jedi that was in touch with their emotions. Me, I'm emotionally repressed. I can't deal with feeling so deeply, let along feeling so strongly toward you."

Sascha curled into a cross-legged sitting position, "Tyra, I'm not perfect. I seem to remember being the one that developed feelings for you first."

"But you dealt with them like a reasoned, responsible person."

Sascha laughed, "No, I didn't. I had a crush on you for months. I thought about you every day. I was wildly, head-over-heels in love with you. It's amazing that I didn't spontaneously combust when we rolled together in unarmed combat class. I could never focus on the holds that Master Xan was teaching us, I was just so excited to be touching you, even if you were hyper-extending my elbow _while_ I was touching you."

"I always thought you were letting me win," Tyra joked flatly.

"No, I just couldn't concentrate when you were that close to me."

Tyra wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe, "Funny. By my point still stands Sascha. We had a pact, and I broke it."

"It's fine Tyra. We'll just make a new pact."

"I guess that answers the question about whether you love me back," Tyra said with a hitch in her voice.

Sascha searched his feelings towards Tyra, wanting to give her an honest response. While a few hours ago he would have easily said that he didn't feel anything special towards Tyra, right now his thoughts were far more conflicted. "I care about you more than any other person in the galaxy," he said honestly. "I'm not even really sure I know what love is. I know that when I had feelings for you that if I had a hundred thoughts during the day, you were in ninety-nine of them. Now we are down to a much more manageable ninety-seven," he joked.

Tyra's squinted mockingly at him, "Come on Sascha, be serious."

"I am," he said. "I'll always be thinking about you. You are my best friend, Tyra. I don't know what could ever change that. I'll always be there for you."

Tears leaked from Tyra's eyes, and Sascha thought that she was going to throw herself into his arms, however something stopped her. "You are the best, Sascha. I don't think it gets told to you enough. How are you so kind and gentle and intelligent?"

"I learned from my best friend."

This time, Tyra did throw herself into his arms. Though they had embraced many times before, this one was somehow different. This time Tyra just smelled different, smelled wonderful, to be honest. And the way her body pressed up against his...well, that was something rather pleasurable as well. He brushed Tyra's hair softly, while he waited for her to pull away. She took her sweet time, that was for sure. Somehow, he didn't mind.

Finally, Tyra pulled away at sat a respectful distance away from him. "I guess I have one last thing to tell you."

Sascha considered making another lame joke, but decided against it, "Go ahead."

Tyra's hard won composure shattered seconds after she got it back, "This might be...the last time you see me, for a while. Forever, maybe."

Instinctively, he took her hand in his, "What do you mean, Tyra?"

"I've taken a mission," she said. "It's secretive and dangerous and very long term. If I make it back, it probably won't be for at least a year. Perhaps more."

Sascha was trying to figure out which of the bombshells that Tyra had dropped on him he wanted to deal with first, the length of the mission, or its apparent danger. "How dangerous is this mission? And can I come with you?"

Tyra shook her head, "The Council requested me, specifically. They said if this mission had any chance for success, that I was the perfect Jedi for it. And I agree with them. This mission needs to be done, and I may be the only Jedi that can do it."

"That's crazy, Tyra!" he exclaimed. "Ten thousand Jedi in the order, and _you_ are the best person for this mystery mission?"

Tyra shoved him, not playfully, but hard enough that he almost toppled over, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sascha. Force, everyone around here seems to want to second guess me," she said angrily. "I guess people don't think I can handle myself."

Sascha held his hands up, "Whoa, Tyra, that's not how I meant that. I just meant that I don't see you do something better than the thousands of Jedi Knights in the Order."

Tyra's anger dissipated quickly, "Sascha. Trust me. It's me or no one."

Sascha nodded soberly, "Does this dangerous mission have anything to do with the Sith?"

Tyra shook her head, "I'm not allowed to say anything about this mission."

"I _thought_ you might make an exception for me," he said.

"If I told you what I was going to do, you'd try to stop me," Tyra said simply.

Now it was Sascha who felt himself feeling emotional, the thought of her being away from him for a year was hard to take, the thought that this could be their last conversation...that Tyra could die..."Tyra I...I don't want you to go."

"Oh, Sascha." Tyra came to his side and put an arm around him. He stopped himself from leaning into her, but he didn't even think about taking Tyra's arm off of him. "Sascha, I have to do this. I love you. But I'd hate myself if I didn't go."

"I don't want this to be the last conversation we'll ever have," he said, feeling tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes, "I don't know what I am without you."

Tyra gripped his shoulders firmly, "You will be what you were born to be. A Jedi."

"I don't know if I can do this without you," he found himself saying. The mere thought of his friendship with Tyra ending felt like a thousand sharp knives jabbing into his heart. Tyra had helped him in so many ways it felt impossible that he could live his life without her guidance, her wisdom, her friendship. Yes, he had Aurine, but their relationship was vastly different.

Tyra raised his chin so that he was looking into her eyes, "Sascha, I'm undertaking this mission for _you_. And the Jedi Order and the galaxy, but for you too."

"I don't understand."

Tyra looked away, "If I accomplish this mission, the galaxy will be a better place. That means that I don't have to worry as much about you dying or being wounded on a mission."

"I don't know what to say to that," he said.

"Don't worry about it." There was a long pause while Tyra continued to hold his shoulders firmly. Finally, she spoke in a low, melodious tone, "I really want to kiss you right now," she said, subtly inching towards him.

Sascha glanced at Tyra's lips. They looked rather soft and inviting at the moment.

 _Don't be an idiot Sascha_ , some deep recess of his mind shouted at him. Deciding that while kissing looked pretty fun, he probably shouldn't be kissing Tyra at this point in his life, he turned his head away. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Tyra."

"Oh, well. Can't blame a girl for trying," she said, her voice obviously trying to cover up the soul-crushing disappointment that she was feeling.

Sascha winced internally, he could feel how much that he had hurt Tyra emotionally during this conversation. It really felt like they had done some serious damage to their friendship in the past few minutes, nothing had done any permanent damage, but...the damage had been done. How was that even been possible? His friendship with Tyra had felt unshakable. Now it felt...wounded, mortal.

"Hey, Tyra? We are still friends, right?"

Tyra looked up at the roof despairingly, "Yeah."

"It'll be okay, we'll figure it out again. We'll go back to the way things were," he said.

"What if I don't think if its possible?" she said, turning away from him.

"Of course, it's possible," he said.

Tyra whirled on him, "Sascha, do you even understand how much willpower it takes for me to not turn into a bumbling mess right now? I love you. Love. L-O-V-E. You turned me down and have been perfectly polite about it, but my heart is in a thousand pieces and its shattering more every moment I stay with you." She held her head in her hands, "How can we even think about things going back to normal when they so obviously aren't?"

Sascha was beginning to feel empty inside, here he was having maybe the last conversation he'd ever have with Tyra, and instead of having a joyful, friendly conversation, they were having this. He really wanted to comfort Tyra, the way he'd always been able to. He'd always been able to find the right words to say to her, but today his words were failing him. "We'll talk about it when you get back. We'll see if things have changed, or if they haven't. Then we will reforge our friendship, make it stronger."

Tyra shook her head, "You were always the optimist, Sascha." Tyra stood and made for the door, "I've got to go, Sascha. I've got to pack and plan, and if I stay here one more moment I think I'll say some things I'll end up regretting."

He stood and stopped Tyra from opening the door. "Tyra, lets say a real goodbye at least."

Tyra looked longingly at the door, seeming to consider just powering past him. Then she looked at him, letting her features soften for a moment, "Sascha. I'll miss you. I want you to know if I...don't come back, that you were the best friend a girl could ever ask for. It has been my honour to know you, to spend time with you."

Sascha wiped a tear away from his eye, "Tyra. I don't even know if words exist that can adequately describe how I feel about you." He tapped his chest, "You are part of me Tyra Harker. And I pledge that whatever happens, I'll live my life the way you would have wanted me to. But I know that you'll come back to me, Tyra, because there isn't a force in the Universe that can stop you."

Tyra smiled sadly, "Those were wonderful words Sascha. But trust me, you have to learn how to live for yourself. I can't be your inspiration any more. But you'll do fine, because you are Sascha Whitestar, and you are the best person I've ever met."

He tried to find words to say to that. He couldn't find any that wouldn't sound inadequate, so he simply bowed his head, "May the Force be with you, Tyra Harker. I'll be seeing you, one way or another."

Tyra lowered her head so that their foreheads touched, "May the Force be with you, Sascha Whitestar, my soulmate, my friend."

They held that position for some time, each them too afraid to be the person that broke away first. It was Tyra who eventually broke the embrace. She opened the door and left him behind.

Sascha watched Tyra go, then he wandered to the middle of the sparring chamber and laid on his back, staring up at the dim lighting of the sparring chamber.

Then he let the tears flow.

* * *

Tyra Harker maintained her shattered composure during the brief walk back to her room. Then when the door closed behind her, she let all her emotion out. She dropped to her knees and cried.

She cried until she ran out of tears.

Weakly, she dragged herself to her bedroll and got inside. Today had been the most horrible day of her life. The Sith were back. She had taken on a solo mission that may as well have been labelled 'suicide.' And she told Sascha that she loved him, only to find that he didn't love her back. Then they had badly damaged their friendship in a conversation that had seemed to get away from both of them.

But at least she had managed to keep from everyone why she had taken on her mission. No one knew about her visions. No, more than anything Tyra needed to know why she had been plagued by visions of dueling Aurine Brynar with Sascha's lightsaber.

Was the vision just a warning? A portent of a future reality? And why did she have Sascha's lightsaber?

Or was it all just a deception?

"Nothing makes sense anymore," she said no one in particular.

The best moment of Tyra Harker's day was when sleep finally claimed her.


	18. Chapter 17: Chosen One

**Salk -** Thanks for the review - I actually quite like my characters as well!

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- Haha, well you'll have to keep reading to find out! It's nice to know that I actually _do_ have the answer to all these questions actually written down, so you dont have to worry about a plot thread that major being dropped. As for that chapter, I may have teared up writing it a couple of times (I'm a big sap).

 **SeraphZora -** I'm not much of a fan of killing off characters, though it does sometimes need to be done for the story to progress. Thanks for the review and compliment!

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- Sascha (should he live long enough to do so), will certainly be interested in taking on an apprentice. We will see where Tyra is going on her mission, and though you've made some rather good guesses, you haven't quite managed to guess this one (though you are in and around the mark.) She also will _not_ die offscreen - that would be totally lame. As for her visions, she hasn't told anyone - this is the stubborn side of Tyra 'I have to figure out for myself why this is happening to me' etc.

A/N - So there is a couple of famous Jedi in this next chapter. I always thought that the timeperiod just after Phantom Menace was interesting - Obi-wan has lost Qui-Gon, Anakin starts training to be a Jedi. I'm going to focus more on Obi-wan, partially because I think he's more interesting, and partially because its hard to see Aurine or Sascha interacting with Anakin for any length of time (I mean the kid is 9-10 years old). So the next couple of chapters will see a fair bit of Obi-wan, but don't worry, we'll keep the focus on Sascha and Aurine as well.

Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Chosen One**

Aurine Brynar didn't sleep very well that night. She was sure that all throughout the Jedi Temple, there were many Jedi that were having trouble sleeping.

After Tyra had left last evening, she was pretty sure that restful sleep would not be for her. She had partly been able to follow the conversation between Tyra and Sascha through her connection to her Padawan in the Force. While she only could sense Sascha's emotions, it seemed like, as she had warned Tyra, their conversation had gone badly. Which she thought was amazingly unfortunate. The friendship between Tyra and her Padawan had always had massive benefits and few drawbacks. They were good partners for each other, their strengths and weaknesses cancelled each other out. And they clearly trusted and confided in each other, which was good – every Jedi needed someone to confide in.

While Aurine was practically sure that if given time, their friendship would recover, she knew that their conversation had likely left both of them emotionally fragile. Sascha was at least going to be in the Temple for the foreseeable future and safe from any and all harm, but Tyra was going to be somewhere in the galaxy, confronting some terrible danger. Given the degree of sympathy she had for Tyra, Aurine certainly wished she had been been able to let Tyra leave the Temple in a better state of mind.

Sascha met her for breakfast like usual, but even without him speaking, she could see the how he had changed. The most obvious change was that he flat out looked tired. Sascha's youthful features and the ease at which he smiled often made him seem younger than his sixteen years of living. Today, it seemed like Sascha's youth had been sapped from him, as if he had woken up yesterday a boy, and today he had woken up a man.

Even in the Force, Sascha had changed slightly. Usually in the Force, Sascha was a joyful, ebullient presence that was very open with his emotions. Today, even without opening herself to the Force, Aurine could feel how closed off and wary he had become, as if he was looking for where the next emotional blow was coming from.

It was also pretty clear that he wasn't interested in talking to her about what had happened. She broached the subject anyway, after they were both done their meal, "Long night?"

Sascha managed a weak smile, "Something like that."

"Want to talk about it?"

He hesitated, "Not...right now."

"If ever you want to talk, Sascha, I'll always make the time for you."

"Yeah, I know." Sascha looked towards the exit of the refectory, "I'm needed in the Library right now. Sorry to be brusque but..."

Sascha may as well have displayed a sign on his forehead that stated 'I don't want to be here right now.' "It's okay Sascha, I have to go teach soon anyway. I'll see you at dinner."

Sascha nodded and made his escape.

Once he was gone, Aurine sighed and played with the remnants of her breakfast. Then, her comlink rang, "Yes, Lumi?" she answered.

"Aurine, are you not going to see me off?" asked Luminara.

Oh, right, Luminara's mission to...Korriban. "Yeah, where are you?"

"Docking bay seven, I'll be the Mirialan wearing a long ,dark robe."

Aurine blinked, had that been a...joke? From Luminara? The galaxy had truly gone mad. "I'll be right there," she said.

A short walk and an even shorter lifttube ride later, Aurine emerged in the docking complex inside the Jedi Temple. It was almost like walking into another world. The Jedi Temple, on the whole, was a quiet, peaceful place, with stone walls and gentle architecture. The hangar bay on the other hand was bustling with activity from both Jedi and non-Jedi. Loud shouts were heard throughout the large room as beings tried to be heard over the pre-heating engines and various maintenance that was going on.

Still, it was easy enough for her to find Luminara. The Mirialan was waiting for her at the base of a large, ungainly looking freighter. "You are taking that hunk of junk?" she asked. The freighter looked like it was far older than she was, and she could still see some carbon scoring on the hull.

Luminara's lips turned upwards in a slight smile, "Looks can be deceiving, old friend."

"So this ship hasn't come from some discount junkyard on Coruscant's 59th level?"

"It does not look like much," said Lumianara, turning and patting the hull affectionately, "But I believe it can get the job done."

"I just hope you don't have to fight in this thing. It looks like it might explode if I spit on it."

"Considering I can smell the caf on your breath from a distance, your spit may be highly acidic, thus it might just melt through the hull," opined Luminara lightly.

Aurine knew that Luminara usually got jumpy just before missions, but rarely had she manifested by making this many jokes. An odd zinger or two was par for the course from the Mirialan, but she was not exactly a jokester. "Well, say hello to Korriban for me," Aurine said.

Luminara shifted uncomfortably on her feet, "I suppose I should be honored to be part of the first Jedi Expeditionary Force to land on Korriban for hundreds of years...but it doesn't really feel like an honor."

"Just think of it this way, Lumi – someone picked you to be here, someone picked _you_ to fight beside them. That should be enough of an honor for anyone."

Luminara's features softened for a moment, "Thank you, old friend. You always knew how to find the right phase to say to me." The Mirialan Jedi Knight glanced around, "I should go. I don't want to delay our departure. May the Force be with you, Aurine. I know you'll need it to survive teaching younglings."

Aurine bowed her head slightly, "May the Force be with you, my friend. I'll see you on your return."

The two friends embraced quickly. Aurine watched as Luminara walked up the ramp in her usual dignified fashion. Aurine didn't wait to see the door close behind her. This had been one of their many goodbyes, and by now there was no point in changing up the routine any, even if the mission Luminara was going on was anything but routine.

Besides, she had to be teaching a class in...Aurine checked her chrono...seven minutes.

 _Kriff_.

Aurine hustled for the lifttubes, trying to remember the fine points of the lecture she had prepared last night. The only saving grace that she could see about this whole situation was that because almost all the regular teachers had been called away, she had been given a free reign to teach what she wanted. So, seeing how teaching something like politics or sociology was out of her comfort zone, she chose a topic that she knew about as well as anyone in the Temple – military tactics. Even at a young age, she had always had an intuitive understanding of tactics, and military thinking, it was something that had just made sense to her. Over her career, she had taken the theoretical knowledge that she had inhaled as a youngling and applied it in many, extremely varied situations.

So it was this knowledge, this experience, that she wanted to pass on to a younger generation of Jedi. She justified the teaching of military tactics to younglings by knowing that it was a dark, dark galaxy out there, and knowing some of the basics about how to handle one's self in a warzone was a valuable skill to have. Jedi were often called upon to lead soldiers and police forces, so it was not like she was teaching them something that was going to be useless.

Despite her knowledge of the subject, her morning class went, for lack of a better word, horribly. First of all, her planned opening remarks were interrupted so many times that she had forgotten them halfway through. Then, when she had reached the point where she _wanted_ the students to ask questions, the room had gone as silent as a morgue, even though she had been interrupted by questions several time in the last few minutes. If the young Initiates that had populated her class had learned anything from her lecture, she would consider it a miracle from the Force.

Her patience fraying, it had been a small blessing when the class had ended. It allowed her to escape to the refectory to regather her composure and plot out a new course (in tactics terms, she needed to make a strategic retreat and re-form her reserves).

As she entered the refectory, she was hoping to find a friendly face to chat with, but a quick perusal of the few Jedi that were currently eating showed none of her friends. While she was not the most popular of Jedi Knights, she would have usually found an old acquaintance or two around that she could chat with, but it seemed like everyone her age was out hunting down the Sith. It was if all the Jedi in the Temple were currently either Jedi too elderly to take on missions, or young, unseasoned Jedi. Only she seemed to be an outlier. It was hard to see the Temple suddenly near empty. Usually the Temple felt so alive, now it simply felt barren.

Aurine grabbed a meal off one of the front tables, and found a seat at an empty table. Using the solace of being alone with her thoughts, Aurine was processing how she might improve her teaching methods for the afternoon class. She was considering pitting the Initiates against each other in a tactical game, the Temple's computers had several good simulators available. Then, after the games were over, she would have the Initiates review another Initiate's game, breaking down the tactical mistakes they had made, and hopefully they would be able to glean some sort of practical understanding. At the very least, it would spare her having to lecture on the nature of combat.

Aurine finished off the remainder of her meal and discarded the remainder in a nearby trash compactor. The only problem that Aurine could find with her plan was that the class had an odd number of students, which meant that one Initiate would be left out. One option would for her to 'play' against one of the top students in the class. In her class there had been one blonde haired Initiate by the name of Jyl Somtay that seemed like she had a decent grasp on tactics, but she wasn't sure that she could lower herself to that level without seeming overly patronizing. She threw her hands up in frustration, so many Force forsaken problems, the Temple was supposed to be a place of meditation and enlightenment but it had felt like anything but that since the return of the Sith had been announced.

As she was about to make her exit from the refectory, Aurine noticed the arrival of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-wan had changed since the last time she had seen him. Now Obi-wan looked like a young man, no longer the boy she had come to know. He still had his short brown hair, lean figure and steely gaze, yet he now lacked the long Padawan braid that he had taken so much pride in. While she was a year older than Obi-Wan, their paths had crossed on more than a few occasions. Still, she would hardly call Kenobi one of her closest friends. One of her friends? Sure. A special friend, even? Maybe. Despite that, it had been a fair while since she had seen him.

Obi-Wan was looking rather sombre, though that was probably expected, as he had recently lost his Master. Yet Aurine's eye quickly drifted to the person beside Obi-Wan. Flanked beside him was a very young human with a mop of sandy blonde hair and the beige Jedi robes of an Initiate. Aurine frowned, the boy was clearly too young to be admitted to the refectory, by tradition this room was for Padawans, Knights and Masters only, the Initiates ate in a separate cafeteria. As she reached out with her senses, more curious than anything, she felt the presence of the youngling like a nova in the Force, wild, almost untamed and extremely powerful.

Aurine shook her head, while she didn't have a perfect knowledge of all the Initiates in the Temple, she was sure that someone this powerful would have not escaped her knowledge. This boy was, quite clearly, going to be one of the strongest Jedi of his generation. But how could he be so strong, yet so clearly untrained? One of the first things that young Jedi Initiates were taught at the Temple was how to control their emotions, but this youngling's control over his emotions was…rudimentary at best.

Deciding that she had enough problems of her own, she concluded that the mystery of the youngling with Kenobi would have to wait for another day. She was striding purposely towards the exit when, to her surprise, Kenobi and the youngling approached her, "Master Brynar?"

"You don't need to call my Master Brynar, Obi."

A slight smile almost appeared on Obi-wan's face, "Sorry. Old habits."

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"You are teaching the class on military tactics, I understand?" Aurine nodded in assent, and Kenobi continued, "I was wondering if you would take my Padawan in your class this afternoon?"

She blinked at the use of the word Padawan. The boy beside Obi-Wan could not have been more than ten years of age, which would be quite young to have been chosen as a Padawan, though not unheard of. Aurine was more shocked that Obi-wan had chosen to take on an apprentice so quickly after being Knighted and losing his Master. It didn't really make sense. However, the machinations of other Jedi Knights rarely worried her, and she was sure that the Jedi Council had evaluated this pairing thoroughly before allowing Kenobi to take an apprentice.

She nodded politely, "I actually need another student to make up the numbers, so I'd be pleased to take your…Padawan."

"Thank you, Master Brynar," said Kenobi politely. Even though Obi-wan was still obviously in mourning, Aurine was struck at how handsome he had become. Obi had been gangly looking when he was in his teens, but now that he had filled into his adult frame, she was seeing her friend in an entirely new light.

Kenobi turned to his youngling Padawan, "Now be good, Anakin, go with Master Brynar."

The boy nodded in an appropriately boyish manner and looked up at her with wide blue eyes, "Thank you," he said.

Aurine blinked. What kind of Padawan had to be told to 'be good?'

"Thank you, Master Brynar," corrected Kenobi patiently.

"Thank you, Master Brynar" the boy parroted politely.

Aurine wondered what she had gotten herself into this time.

* * *

Aurine had intended to check in on Sascha in the Temple Library before the next class started, but with her new charge in tow, she felt it better just to head to the classroom.

As they walked down the hall, Aurine realized that she didn't know the name of Kenobi's apprentice. "What is your name, young one?"

"Anakin Skywalker, Master Brynar, sir," the boy said in an earnest voice.

Aurine stifled a laugh, Anakin Skywalker sounded more like someone who was the star of a pretentious holodrama, rather than a Jedi. Yet, her Padawan was named Sascha Whitestar, which was an equally ostentatious name in her opinion. Walking down the wide hallways of the Jedi Temple, the young…Padawan, peppered her with questions, which she tried her best to answer without losing what remained of her patience from the morning class. She had never been more thankful that her Padawan was quiet and respectful, two attributes this Anakin Skywalker clearly lacked. To be fair, Sascha was more than five years older than Anakin.

After they reached the classroom, she was able to occupy him with reading some pre-prepared material on a datapad, allowing her to catch her breath before the rest of the Initiates filed in. As the Initiates came into the classroom they all took note of the newcomer, and were seemingly confused by the new Jedi, obviously they did not know who he was. She made a mental note to ask Obi-wan where he had found this Anakin Skywalker.

As the late-coming Initiates filed in, Aurine noticed a disheartening trend – no one wanted to sit beside, or even near, Anakin. While Aurine knew that this was likely because they could sense his power in the Force, and were more than a little wary of him, it wasn't likely to be helpful in integrating Anakin into the class. She hoped that one of the Initiates would be bold enough to introduce themselves to Anakin, having the teacher introduce a new student would almost guarantee that his compatriots would see him as different. More different, Aurine corrected herself, already being a Padawan of the new hero of the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan Kenobi would set him apart enough, and his tremendous power would set him further apart. Aurine actually almost pitied the youngling. She had been a bit of a screw-up as a young Jedi, but she had several friends among her peers, and many acquaintances, Anakin would be lucky if a few brave souls warmed up to him.

Aurine was about to start the class when the little blonde-haired human, Jyl Somtay, who looked very much like she had when she was that age, boldly marched over to Anakin, offering a hand in greeting. The two struck up a quick conversation, which Aurine was more than a little grateful for, she would have to find a way to reward Initiate Somtay for taking initiative, but she filed that away to deal with later.

The Jedi Knight commanded the attention of the room with a mere flicker of energy in the Force. Dutifully, the Initiates broke off their conversations and turned to face her. All except Anakin and Jyl, who continued to converse. Turning her attention to them, she silenced the pair with a swift glare. Jyl bowed her head politely, showing contrition, and Anakin aped her movement, but not as contritely.

Swiftly, Aurine outlined her plans for the lesson, identifying the simulator they would be using and letting the Initiates pair off, unsurprisingly Jyl and Anakin selected to compete against each other.

The combat simulator had an actual name, but it was colloquially known as Shout Commander. The simulation put each Initiate in the command centre of an army and given an objective that ranged from protecting/attacking a convoy to massive battles that had thousands of simulated soldiers at their command. What Aurine preferred about this simulator is that it only could be controlled via voice command, meaning that Initiates had to vocalize their orders, which meant that in order to be heard, you had to speak loudly, and now in a room with several Initiates yelling for their orders to be heard, the room became a cacophony of noise.

It wasn't a bug, it was a feature, smiled Aurine, this is battles were like, they were loud and distracting. The simulator did a good job of reproducing the chaos of a battlefield, reports would come in from distant sectors slowly, sometimes wrong information was filtered back to command, and sometimes commands were misinterpreted if they were given too broadly. It was in some ways a crash course of being an actual General. 'No battle plan survives contact with the enemy,' was a quote that came to mind for the Jedi Knight.

Aurine meandered around the room seemingly at random, watching the young Jedi command their digital troops. It was easy to tell who had the upper hand in the simulations. Generally speaking the Initiate that was calmest would end up the victor, but with so much stimulus given to a youngling, the battle, having to yell to be heard, being in direct competition with each other, inevitably some would lose their calm, and usually with that, the battle. In her opinion, Jedi, especially young ones, having been drilled from childhood that their powers were to be used to defend, never attack, were far too cautious tactically. It was counter intuitive, but a correctly planned and executed attack was often safer and ended up saving lives, a fact that many Jedi discovered as they got older.

Aurine ambled over to where Anakin and Jyl were competing; the battle was all but over for young Skywalker. From what she could parse together, Anakin had tried a bold offensive, but found that his attack had bogged down and his forces had found itself enveloped by Jyl's army. The young girl was taking it easy on Anakin she saw, allowing Anakin to piece together a surprisingly effective last ditch defence, but he had lost too much earlier on, and now upon on realizing that his defence was untenable, he surrendered the game. "Thanks for the game, let's go again, I think I have the hang of it now," Anakin said excitedly.

The Jedi Knight returned to sauntering around the room, looking at how the battles were progressing. Eventually, she made her way back over to Jyl and Anakin, their second battle was proving to be much closer, with Anakin and Jyl both excitedly yelling orders to their simulated charges. Aurine was surprised that Anakin was able to be so competitive with Jyl, who she had previously identified as one of the stronger Initiates when it came to knowledge of tactics.

The decisive moment came as Anakin's forces caught Jyl's trying to regroup, disintegrating their formation and allowing Anakin's forces to begin a mop up operation. Jyl pounded her desk in frustration, while Anakin's voice was at a very boyish timbre as he completed his victory. Aurine couldn't tell if Anakin had been lucky at finding that weak point in his opponent's formation or if he had planned it, often times it was hard to tell the difference. 'I'd rather have a lucky general than a smart one,' was another quote that came to mind. Of course, the best generals were those that were both smart _and_ lucky.

Intrigued, Aurine watched the final battle between the two. The scenario was a difficult one, Anakin had to get a convoy through a forested area and into a city, his forces were more numerous than his opponents, but slower. His victory condition was to get more than 60% of the convoy to the city before two standard days elapsed. Jyl was hampered by a small window she had to attack, if dusk fell, her forces had insufficient ability to attack or even find the convoy in the dark. At her command were several quick but fragile forces, perfect for harassing a convoy, but if they ever got caught by the opponent's forces in an extended firefight, they would be decimated quickly. This scenario required some out of the box thinking, if Anakin simply decided to wait for the darkness and defend a single hardpoint there was not much Jyl could do about it, but he couldn't get his supplies to the city. Making tough choices was what a commander had to do and this scenario offered both commanders tough choices.

If Aurine was in Jyl's position, she would simply position her forces between the convoy and the city, pick out the best places for ambushes and simply grind Anakin's forces down without ever offering a battle. If she were in Anakin's shoes, she would fake a hardpoint defence at a good location, wait for the sun to almost set, and then move through the evening and the darkness as fast as possible, sacrificing her troops to protect the convoy at all costs.

As both younglings puzzled through the scenario, Jyl arranged her forces in a fairly standard way, giving her flexibility to flank and harass her opponent as necessary. Anakin was doing something completely out of the box. He had grouped most of his forces together at a central location, digging in for a defensive struggle. However he had also taken around 65% of his convoy and a token defensive force and sent it on a long and meandering path that would take it to the city.

Aurine instantly saw what he was doing and evaluated it as a strategy. It was insane. It was risky. Yet it was genius. Jyl didn't have enough information to know that Anakin had simply detached the bulk of his convoy and sent it on a long pathway to the city that she would likely never find. Anakin simply feigned that the small part of the convoy that he had left with his main force was his entire convoy, and Jyl had no way of telling that the main part of the convoy was slowly, but inexorably, heading towards the city.

Jyl poked and prodded at Anakin's forces, and the youngling was smart enough to act like this main force was the entirety of his convoy so he tried to slowly make his way towards the city, but acted like Jyl was slowing him down. Eventually, Anakin's main force had to fight through several well-constructed ambushes and was whittled down to almost nothing. Aurine nodded in approval, Jyl was showing patience and a strong tactical acumen, she just had been outthought on a strategic level.

Near the end of the second day, while Anakin's convoy had almost reached the city, Jyl's forces attacked Anakin's diversionary force with all its remaining might and wiped it out completely. Jyl smiled to herself as the ending screen popped up, but was left wondering why her screen told her that she had been defeated – Anakin's convoy had reached the city intact.

"Well done Anakin," Aurine said to the young Padawan.

His return grin was infectious, "Thanks Master!"

Jyl was staring at the screen in confusion, her blue-gray eyes trying to understand how her victory had turned into defeat, "But I won…I destroyed his forces…" she said, still shocked.

"Nope, I got my convoy to the city, I win!" declared Anakin.

"But…his troops…they had a 96% casualty and capture rate," said Jyl, pointing at a screen that showed the statistics of the battle, "Mine only lost 27%!"

"Anakin achieved his objective, you did not," Aurine said simply.

"What?" Jyl shouted. Realization dawned on her suddenly, "Where did you send the rest of your convoy Anakin?"

The boy smiled coyly, "Somewhere you'd never find it."

The girl closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly, "I can't believe I let that happen." Jyl opened her eyes after a moment, "Play again?"

"After class is over," Aurine admonished lightly, moving back to the front of her class and continuing her lesson.


	19. Chapter 18: Hurt and Comfort, Part One

**if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- I think that while Luminara is somewhat of a 'serious' character, she gets in a lot of quips. Yeah, I liked that little game to - I think often times the Star Wars Universe forgets that there would be some pretty fun/advanced simulators out there (I mean can you imagine how many Jedi simulators there probably are? How many flight simulators?). I'm not sure Anakin's a tactical genius, but he does think 'outside the box' quite well, which we got to see here. And actually Jyl Somtay is a (extremely minor) character from the old canon - apparently she's shown as a friend of Anakin's. This is actually how I picture Aurine (it's actually Jyl Somtay). The picture you have had in your head of Aurine is also perfectly valid, lol.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- Hah, no, Luminara's ship is not intended to be the _Millennium Falcon_ , I mean its 32 years until Luke calls it a 'hunk of junk', so I'd expect it to be in relatively good condition right now. I think it's honestly a bit jarring how Anakin goes from 'happy-go-lucky kid' to 'angsty teenager' in one movie. There is a book series (Jedi Quest), and a rather enjoyable book (The Approaching Storm) that happens just before EP 2, that features Luminara and Bariss as well. I think more material pointing out how Anakin would always be perceived as being different might have helped his story - It's something I'll touch on now and then.

A/N - I'm honestly not sure I totally love this chapter. I feel like it's a chapter I'll look back upon in a couple of months and go 'that could have been so much better.'

Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Hurt and Comfort, Part One**

A few days had passed since that first class that Aurine had taught, and in her modest opinion she was getting slightly better at teaching, not anywhere near good, but competent. Most of the Initiates showed an improved understanding of military matters, and instead of silly questions being asked, the Initiates often had solid, thought provoking discussions on the nature of warfare and tactics, even without her guiding the discussion. She was almost going to miss teaching.

Almost.

Soon, some of the first Jedi teams would be returning from what seemed to have been fruitless searches for the Sith and she would be allowed to give up her temporary spot as a teacher. Something that had surprised her was that over the week or so she had been teaching she had recovered better from her wounds than the weeks beforehand. No longer did she wake up during the night with a searing pain in her back, or find herself losing her connection with the Force for the briefest of intervals. Today, for the first time in a long while, she felt like she was at her full strength.

Aurine Brynar, Jedi Knight, was back.

She was eating dinner alone, which had become a trend for her this week. Sascha had still not really recovered from the conversation he'd had with Tyra. Whenever she tried to broach the topic, Sascha simply shut her down. A few days ago, she hadn't been worried about Sascha's state of mind, now she was. Sascha had been quiet and withdrawn over the past few days, and outside of meeting her for breakfast, she usually didn't see much of her apprentice. She was willing to give Sascha space, but not indefinitely. She was plotting out how she was going to get Sascha to snap out of it when she saw Obi-Wan Kenobi walk into the refectory.

The eyes of every Jedi in the room turned to Kenobi, who was now a folk hero within the Temple, the only Jedi in nearly a thousand years to defeat a Sith Lord in combat. Aurine mostly felt sorry for Obi-Wan. Obi was such a kind and caring soul, he had no desire to advance up the ranks of the Jedi Order, he simply wanted to help people. But now, Obi-wan Kenobi was a Jedi that had tremendous expectations on his shoulders.

Aurine was surprised to see that after Kenobi grabbed his meal, he made his way over to her, "Master Brynar, I wanted to thank you for including Anakin in your classes this week, yours has been the only one he has seemingly enjoyed."

Aurine nodded absentmindedly, but Kenobi continued to hover around, so she waved a hand to the empty seat across from her and the new Jedi Knight took the hint and sat down, "Thank you, Aurine."

"It's been some time since we last talked," Aurine observed.

"Yes," Obi-wan replied, "And much has changed since then." Obi-wan absentmindedly picked at his salad, not seeming the slightest bit interested in his meal.

"I was sorry to hear about Qui-Gon," Aurine said softly, "He was always kind to me."

Emotion played over Obi-wan's face for a second before it fell back to a neutral disposition, "Thank you, Aurine."

An awkward silence dragged on. Aurine had never exactly been a gifted conversationalist and while she did know Obi-wan reasonably well, she hadn't seen him in quite a while. She wished she could find some way to kick start a nice, normal conversation that didn't revolve around the death of his Master, his new Padawan or his new rank, none of which seemed like great dinner conversation.

An idea came to Aurine, "Do you remember the first time we met?"

A smile crept on to Obi-Wan's face, "You mean _that_ sparring session?"

"I think only one of us was sparring, the other one was just flailing wildly…and then lying on the ground defeated."

Smiling at her own joke, Aurine reflected upon that day. She had been about fifteen, and had been in the process of turning herself from a terrible Jedi into a good one. Still, at that point in her career, she had been extremely arrogant. Her Master, Nova Trynith, had of course realized this, and set out to humble her apprentice, repeatedly.

One day, Nova had set up a sparring session with an Obi-wan Kenobi, a Padawan that was a year younger than her. Not only was he a year younger, Obi-wan was such a spindly looking kid, he hardly looked like he would be a good fighter at all. Annoyed beyond belief at having to spar with someone she was sure she was better than, she had planned to make an example out of Kenobi. In Aurine's mind, if she overwhelmed her younger opponent quickly, she would prove to her Master that she was ready to handle more advanced techniques and more advanced sparring partners.

The sparring session had not gone according to plan.

She had weaved her way towards Kenobi, her lightsaber cutting an intricate pattern. Obi-wan had seemed bewildered and retreated, holding his blue-bladed lightsaber close to his body. She had raised her lightsaber for an overhand blow, when Kenobi had kicked out at her. She had ignored the incoming kick, figuring that she could just take it and continue on with her attack.

A second later, she had been on all fours, trying to get air back into her lungs. Obi-wan hadn't even kicked her hard, he had just kicked her in the right place, a perfect debilitating blow that would have dropped a three hundred pound heavyweight as easily as it had dropped her.

It had taken nearly a minute before Aurine could breathe normally again, but instead of doing the intelligent thing and admitting she had been beaten, and soundly, she had declared that she wanted to continue sparring. Master Trynith had been amused by the idea and let the session continue.

A minute later her lightsaber had been flung to a distant corner of the room, she was flat on her back and Kenobi's lightsaber was pointed at her chest. Grudgingly, she had surrendered to Kenobi.

Aurine had always fancied herself to be a good fighter, but she had been soundly defeated by a skinny boy that was a year younger than her. Instead of doing her usual petulant thing and storming away, she had asked Obi-wan to teach her, swallowing her pride to do so.

Obi-wan, of course, was only too pleased to help out a fellow Jedi, and over the next few days he had taught her some basic defensive fundamentals that she had been lacking. That had been the beginning of their friendship.

"I think I just caught you on a bad day," Obi-Wan said modestly.

"No, you were just better than me," Aurine admitted.

"You were perhaps a bit overconfident," allowed Kenobi.

"Perhaps," she said with a tiny smile.

"So what is new with you Aurine? I've been so busy the past couple of months I've lost track of what is going on inside the Temple."

Aurine played a bit with the remainder of her meal, "Well, I took a Padawan…"

"You took a Padawan?" Kenobi exclaimed, incredulous. "I seem to remember having a conversation with you where you said that you wouldn't take a Padawan until you were 'old and wise.'"

"Well, I'm not old and I'm hardly wise, but yes, I have a Padawan now. Possibly one of the best decisions I've ever made," said Aurine.

"Where is your Padawan?" Obi-wan asked, glancing around. "Shouldn't he be here with you?"

"He should, yes." Aurine stretched her legs underneath the table, "He's helping out in the Library at the moment, but he should have met his Master for dinner. I guess he forgot. Again."

A sly smile appeared on Obi-wan's face, "Did you pick a delinquent apprentice like yourself?"

She stifled a laugh, "No, Sascha is pretty much the opposite of me in that regard. He's a nice, proper, Jedi. Like you," she added.

Obi-wan continued picking at his food, "I'm not sure that I should be held up as an example of a good, proper, Jedi. I've made many mistakes that I regret, mistakes that I hope other Jedi would avoid."

"Come on, Obi."

Obi-wan's expression hardened, "No, I'm serious. I see younglings in the hallway stare at me like I'm some kind of hero. I never asked to be a role model."

"And yet you are."

He grimaced, "It just doesn't feel right. We have all these great Jedi Masters that are old and wise and powerful, but to say that _I'm_ the person that Jedi should be looking up to is absurd."

"I don't think it's absurd," she countered. "You are a great Jedi, Obi-wan. Everyone knows this. What's the big deal if people look up to you? Are you afraid you are going to set a bad example?"

"No. I guess that I don't like being exalted as some sort of hero," Kenobi admitted.

The two ate in silence for a minute or two. Obi-wan broke the silence, "You are happy with your Padawan?"

"Thrilled, actually. Sure he gets on my nerves every now and then, but I think I've learned more about myself through my months teaching Sascha than I did during my years of being a Jedi Knight. He's not overly strong in the Force, but he's quick-witted and clever. He keeps me on my toes. He'll be a good companion for the many years to come."

"Did you have trouble connecting with your Padawan at first?" Obi-wan asked.

It didn't take a genius to understand the context of Obi-wan's question. Nonetheless, she decided to skirt around the issue, "I had a connection with Sascha pretty instantly actually. He is very adaptable and he very much wanted to repay the faith I put in him by choosing him as my Padawan. I think I was lucky," she admitted.

"I was hoping that you could offer more...specific advice."

"There are no magic words I can say, Obi-wan," she said. "You will have to work at it. Remember, you can only control your half of the Master-Padawan relationship. And Anakin is very young, Obi, it will take him some time to adapt. I wouldn't worry about it."

Obi-Wan sat politely through her little speech, but she could tell that her words had little to no impact on him, so she tried a different tactic, "Or, as my Master once said when I was having trouble with Sascha, 'You must see him for the Padawan that he is, not for the Padawan you want him to be.'"

Those words did seem to land with some influence on the young man, "That sounds like something Master Qui-Gon would have said," Kenobi replied, voice heavy with emotion, "I miss his wisdom, especially now."

"He'll always be with you, Obi-wan," she said softly.

Tears glistened briefly in Obi-wan's eyes, "Thank you, Aurine."

At a totally inappropriate moment, Obi-wan's comlink rang. Obi-wan apologized and took the call. Aurine listened to half a conversation.

"Yes?" said Obi-wan. Pause. "Anakin did what? I'll be right there."

Obi-wan looked at her apologetically, "I am sorry, but apparently Anakin managed to deactivate Huyin. I need to go right away."

Aurine waved towards the door, "Don't let me keep you here."

Obi-wan scrambled for the door, leaving his rapidly cooling meal sitting across from her. Quietly, Aurine finished off the remainder of her dinner before heading back to class, hopefully the last class she would have to teach for a long, long time.

* * *

After a tiring day, Aurine retired to her room, preparing to mediate for a while before going to sleep. She had sat down and was in the process of clearing her mind when there was a soft knock on her door.

"Who is it?" she said, loud enough for her voice to carry through the door.

"It's Obi-wan."

Aurine recoiled slightly in shock. What was Obi-wan doing here? She got up and opened the door, only to realize that she was not wearing her usual Jedi attire, but a light under tunic and long compression shorts.

Obi-wan took one look at her and blushed, "I seem to have caught you at a bad time..."

Aurine felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, "Just give me one moment." Quickly she closed the door and threw on her usual beige tunic and pants, cursing herself all the while for being so monumentally stupid as to answer her door in her sleepwear. It could have been worse, she thought, at least Obi-wan had seen her with less clothes on before...

Fully clothed, she opened the door again and waved Obi-wan inside. Graciously, Obi-wan accepted the invitation, stepping just inside the doorway before he stopped and looked around, "Your room hasn't changed much, Aurine."

She shrugged, "Well, my room is a bit bigger than it used to be at least. Perks of being a Jedi Knight, I suppose." She smiled and bowed to him politely, "Have you gotten your new room yet, Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan winced, "Please don't call me that. Not when its just the two of us."

"But i like the way it sounds on my tongue," she teased. "Master Kenobi has a nice ring to it."

Obi-wan looked pained, "Everyone else is going to call me that, I figure my friends should call me the same thing they always have."

"Oh, so we are friends now, are we, Obi-wan?" she asked playfully.

Colour appeared in Obi-wan's face, but he kept his expression neutral, "We've been friends since that first day we met Aurine. Maybe not the best of friends... but we are two people who enjoy each others company."

It was about as good a definition as there was for their relationship. "What can I do for you, Obi-wan?"

He tugged at the collar of his robe nervously, "Well, I've been having trouble sleeping the past few nights and you were always good at providing comfort...I always slept well with you by my side."

Aurine had very fond memories of waking up next to a half-naked Obi-wan Kenobi. She couldn't have said whether she slept better with him by her side, somehow it hadn't seemed particularly important to remember at the time. But the context here was obviously different from the adolescent fun they had once had. Obi-wan had gone through a great trial, one that she didn't know all the details to, and he was looking to her for comfort. And she would provide it.

"You will sleep here tonight," she said definitively.

Obi-wan shifted uncomfortably on his feet, "I...uh, don't want to impose, or suggest that things will be like they were...years ago."

She let some frustration enter her voice, "Obi, do I seem dense to you? I understand the context of your question. I'm a twenty-six year old Jedi Knight, not a nineteen year old Padawan. I know you pretty well, Obi. I'm not going to pressure you into doing something you don't want to. We'll act like the adults we both are."

"Thank you Aurine..."

"...but first I have to ask a favour from you."

Confusion entered Obi-wan's expression, "Whatever I can do for you."

Aurine indicated that Obi-wan should sit, and the young man did, sitting and leaning against the back wall of her room, "I want you to talk to my Padawan."

Obi-wan frowned in confusion, "I've never met your Padawan, why would you want me to talk to him?"

"Because you know what he is going through, more or less," she said.

It took a few seconds for Obi-wan to figure out what she meant, "Ah. A matter of the heart." He paused, "Why can't you talk to him?"

"I can," she allowed, "but I feel like he may not want to talk about such things with his Master."

"And all his usual friends are out of the Temple," Obi-wan surmised, clambering to his feet. "Well, I'll see what I can do – where is your Padawan? And I might need to know his name as well."

She smiled, "His name is Sascha Whitestar, and you'll find him in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, underneath the waterfall that has the Sluissi plants nearby."

Obi-wan rose, "I know the one that you mean. How do you know he is there?"

"Because that is where he always goes when he tries to avoid the rest of the galaxy."

* * *

Sascha Whitestar sat near his favourite waterfall in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, playing music out of his datapad loudly enough that if anyone else had been around he would have surely drawn dirty looks. Right now, he didn't care. Right now he just wanted to find a way to turn his brain to the 'off' setting.

He had spent ten hours today in the Library helping out by tackling research requests, but he had been off his game completely, making uncharacteristic errors and being stupidly slow in finding the information he needed. It had been so bad that Master Jocasta had pulled him aside to ask him if anything was wrong. He'd denied anything was wrong and Master Jocasta had let him go back to work, but the truth was that he was in emotional turmoil.

When his shift in the Library was done, he hadn't wanted to join his Master for dinner. While Aurine was always nice to him and seemed to be understanding of his various issues, he had absolutely no desire to talk with her about Tyra. He barely wanted to think about Tyra, he absolutely did not want to talk about her.

Off to his side, his music blared loudly, "I just wanna see the day when I don't think of you."

Sascha felt himself frowning. That wasn't quite what he wanted to happen. He changed the song to something quieter, an Corelian orchestral piece.

Once he was happy with the music, he returned to the questions that were plaguing him. What did he want with his relationship with Tyra to be now? It felt like it was impossible to go back to the way things were, but he had no idea what their relationship could become. Would they be able to return to being friends? Sascha still had the image of Tyra leaning forward towards him, eyes closed, wanting to kiss him etched into his mind. Part of him had wanted to kiss her back. Would it have been so wrong? It had felt kind of right...

Sorting through his feelings for Tyra was basically impossible now. Part of him was angry at her for taking on a dangerous mission. Part of him was angry at her for attempting to kiss him. And part of him just wanted everything to go back to a few days ago, when his life had had some semblance of normalcy. It felt like he was being divided into fractions and the fractions had become factions in his brain, each fighting for control over him.

"Ahh, providing the plants with some music therapy, very kind of you," said a wry male voice from behind him.

Sascha didn't even bother turning, "I'll turn it off if you want."

"I think that is probably a good idea."

Sascha grabbed his datapad and with a quick couple of instructions, the music was silenced. "There, now if you'd excuse me, I'd like to be left alone."

"It doesn't look like you should be alone at the moment."

Sascha finally turned to the intruder, but the biting retort that he had intended to issue died behind his lips, when he saw who had interrupted his solitude. "You're Obi-wan Kenobi!"

Obi-wan glanced skyward briefly, "Usually Jedi your age wouldn't know me by sight. I guess that has all changed, hasn't it, Sascha Whitestar."

"You know who I am?"

"Your Master sent me," Obi-wan replied.

"You know my Master?" Sascha thought that Aurine was far too minor a Jedi Knight to be in the same social circle as Obi-wan Kenobi, a Jedi that was rumoured to be on the fast track to the Jedi Council.

Obi-wan smiled, "Yes, it turns out your Master is also a human being who has her own set of friends and acquaintances. I happen to be one of them."

Sascha felt himself wince, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it too much. We all make mistakes when we are young," said Kenobi, a serious expression settling on to his sharp features. Obi-wan sat down on a flat area of the ground, petting a nearby plant affectionately.

"What can I do for you, Master Kenobi? Why did my Master send you to me?" Sascha wanted to ask why Obi-wan was bothering to talk to a lowly apprentice like him, but he didn't think Obi-wan would appreciate that question.

"Aurine told me that you've had an...interesting time with one of your friends, recently."

"I'm not particularly interested in talking about it," he said stubbornly. He resented the idea that Aurine was going around and sharing what had happened to him. What had happened was between him and Tyra. It was certainly not something to nonchalantly chat about.

Obi-wan shrugged casually, "I wouldn't be interested in talking about it if I was in your place. But talking about it will help you."

"And how would you know that?" he retorted.

"Because I've been in your boots," Obi-wan said simply. "We don't need to talk about specifics or details. Those are rarely helpful. But I'm sure you have questions, questions that you don't necessarily want to reveal to your Master."

"Aren't you just going to report this conversation back to Master Brynar?"

"Parts of it, probably." Obi-wan leaned forward, "But I will use my discretion."

Sascha bit his lip. There was a large part of him that just wanted to politely stonewall this conversation. But a he was also starstruck as well. This was Obi-wan Kenobi, hero of the Jedi Order, slayer of the Sith! And here Obi-wan was taking to Sascha Whitestar, possibly the most unimportant Padawan in the entire Order. "Okay, we'll talk."

Obi-wan nodded politely, "Thank you."

Sascha briefly outlined the scenario and what had happened. Obi-wan nodded along, asking questions to clarify minor points. When he got to the end of his story, Sascha sighed, "I'm just so confused, I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm being pulled in a hundred different directions, and its just tearing me up inside."

"Did you ever think that it might be a good thing that you are so conflicted?" asked Obi-wan quietly.

"What!"

"To be conflicted is to be alive. There is no moral being in the galaxy that is always one hundred percent sure of himself his entire life. To experience doubt is to experience humanity." Obi-wan paused, "I believe that a good Jedi has to have experiences like this is his own life, otherwise how could you sympathize with others if we don't know the basics of their lives? You are having one of the most normal experiences a person your age can have. Embrace it. Learn from it."

Sascha had not exactly expected that answer. "What should I do though?"

Obi-wan patted him on the leg, "I'm not going to tell you that. That's for you to muddle through."

"But I don't know what that the right thing to do is," he protested.

Obi-wan leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye, "Neither do I. Neither did any of the thousands of Jedi that came before you that dealt with this exact problem. Sometimes, there is no perfect solution, sometimes you just have to make the best of it. If you make a mistake, well, that isn't necessarily a bad thing either, as long as you learn from it."

"But I can't lose Tyra's friendship," he said, half-rising from his seated position.

Now Obi-wan's expression hardened, "Can't? Or don't want to? The distinction is important."

Sascha almost replied that he could not live without Tyra's friendship, but he very much doubted that was the answer that Obi-wan wanted to hear.

Noticing that he was taking a long time to reply, Obi-wan continued, "Think about what your friend chose. From the way you describe it, she seems to have chosen to fulfill her duty as a Jedi, despite what her feelings are telling her. I may suggest that she would like you to make a similar decision."

That was essentially what Tyra had said to him at the end of their conversation, she had basically implored him to continue on the path of becoming a Jedi Knight. If he valued Tyra's friendship, her advice, how could he go against what she wanted for him? Part of the conflict in his mind resolved itself all at once. The hard part about what exactly his feelings were towards Tyra and how their relationship could continue remained an open debate. One that he suspected would not be easily resolved.

"I think that helped a bit, Master Kenobi. Thank you." He paused, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Padawan."

"Is it possible to be happy and be a Jedi? It seems like we are asked to give up so much of ourselves, and I understand why, I think. But is it possible to live like we do and be happy, be fulfilled? It feels like I'm losing parts of myself as I grow up."

Obi-wan ran a hand through his short hair, "It's a good question. I can only really answer it for myself. But my answer would be yes. I can look at all the things that have been taken from me by our rules – my parents, the girl that I loved, etcetera. But I cannot be that cynical about my life. I know that I have friends who care about me, that will laugh with me, that enjoy spending time with me. I know that I've made a difference in countless lives. I can't think of a life more worthy than one that is selflessly dedicated to others. But maybe that will not be for you. Maybe your happiness will come from your friendship and partnership with Tyra. Maybe it will come from teaching an apprentice. But you will find it. And that is as much of being a Padawan as learning how to use a Mind Trick. To become a Jedi Knight you must be at peace with yourself, and you can only do that by knowing who you are."

Sascha was silent for several long moments, listening to the falling waterfall nearby and absorbing all of what Obi-wan had just said. "That's an instructive answer, Master Kenobi. I guess I just wish I knew who I am."

Obi-wan chuckled, "You are sixteen years old, Sascha. You aren't supposed to know who you are. That's why this part of your life is hard. It's supposed to be."

"I suppose I should assume you went through something similar. I mean like me and Tyra."

Obi-wan glanced away, "Almost exactly. We decided we would focus on our future as Jedi, instead of our feelings."

"And are you still friends?"

"It's a different sort of friendship now, but yes, we are friends."

That thought was comforting. If Obi-wan and...whoever had been able to sort things out and be friends at the end, then certainly he and Tyra could.

If she survived her mission, he thought darkly.

Sascha tried to refocus himself, "Did it hurt at first? To have to end a friendship, a relationship?"

Obi-wan looked downward, "Yes. We naively thought that the rules would be changed for us, but those illusions were shattered quickly. We had no choice but to break it off, we decided that our duties as Jedi came before our feelings for each other. In that conversation, we both said some things that we regretted at the time. Time healed our wounds though. Time, and becoming a bit more mature," he added ruefully, "Your Master actually helped me a fair bit with the latter part."

"What advice would you give me?"

Obi-wan leaned forward, "You both know what the rules are. The rules will not change. But there is room in the Jedi Order for friendship – you just need to find balance. But you can only find that balance if you are both honest with each other."

"I really hope it is that easy," he said.

"I never said it was easy," said Obi-wan.

Sascha sighed, "Of course it won't be. But we'll fix it. Because I'm Sascha Whitestar and she's Tyra Harker, and we can fix anything."

Obi-wan nodded approvingly, "I think that is a good mentality to have."

"I think it's better than sitting here, moping," he commented dryly.

"Yes, your Master would certainly like to see you more. She's a good one, Aurine."

"I know. I'm lucky to have her."

Obi-wan smiled and rose, "I assume I was some help to you?"

Sascha bowed his head, "Yes, thank you for your time, Master Kenobi. I'm still feeling conflicted, but instead of there being a war inside my head, it feels more like a border skirmish."

"Just remember to use Master Brynar to mediate your border skirmish."

Sascha laughed, "Okay, Master Kenobi. I will."

"It was good to meet you, Padawan Whitestar."

"It was an honor, Master Kenobi."

A rueful smile appeared on Obi-wan's face, "I suppose I should get used to people saying that to me." The Jedi Knight offered Sascha a shallow bow and calmly walked away, his boots ringing softly against the rocky pathways of the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

After Obi-wan had gone, he leaned back, laying his head against a rock. That conversation had helped him in a way that seemed to defy words. He was still confused and hurt and he wanted Tyra to be beside him right now so that they could talk about it and find a way to strengthen their friendship again. But he was realizing that this was the wish of a naive boy. And he wasn't a boy anymore. He was a young man, a Jedi Padawan.

All his life he had wanted to grow up, to be big and strong, to take the next step towards his goal of becoming a Jedi Knight. But now that he was actively pursuing that goal, all he wanted to do was return to the simplicity of his childhood.

"The boy wants to be a man and the man wants to be a boy. I think that might be called irony."


	20. Chapter 19: Hurt and Comfort, Part Two

**thejoker122 -** Thanks for the review and welcome back. Glad you enjoyed that conversation as I was not too sure of it myself.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- Yeah that last quote is all kinds of poignant. I think your Aurine/Obi-wan questions will be answered this chapter. I still like to think that the rest of the Star Wars story progresses as usual, with Obi-wan/Satine being a thing - like it should be clear in this chapter that Obi-wan/Aurine is a friendship with benefits thing and Obi-wan/Satine is a 'we love each other' kind of thing. I've always been good with dialog, I don't know why. I guess it's easy for me to capture the 'voice' of all these characters and then let the conversation unfold naturally. I also read a lot - it always helps me to see how other people write their dialog, it inspires me to write even better.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- You will eventually get your Sascha (and co.) rivalry with Anakin, you'll be waiting a while, but it will happen. You know what is funny - you mentioned comparison between Aurine and Nara and I didn't get it...and then I thought about it for a bit and I understood what you were getting at. So maybe you know this work better than the author, who knows!

A/N - Barely managed to get this chapter ready for the usual posting time, so there may be some mistakes that I didn't catch. On the plus side, next chapter will be the start of the main mission of this fic - it is a fun one!

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Hurt and Comfort, Part Two**

After Obi-wan left her room, Aurine got busy. Quickly, she cleaned her room up somewhat, tossing dirty clothes into the laundry chute. Then, she showered and made herself presentable. She didn't exactly have makeup or perfume to put on – and even if she had owned some, she wouldn't have used them. Jedi were not about such material niceties. Though sometimes she resented not having some nice eye shadow or lipstick to put on. Oh well.

Aurine was able to sense Obi-wan returning, so she was waiting for him at her door. She ushered him inside her room and closed the door behind him. Once she was sure the door was closed, spoke in a confident tone, "Your cloak, take it off."

Obi-wan froze, "Aurine?"

"Obi-wan," she said, "Trust me."

Kenobi, still partially frozen in indecision, still hadn't made a move to remove his cloak, so she decided to be proactive in the matter. She moved to him and softly started taking off his cloak. When the brown cloak had fallen to the floor, she leaned on to her tiptoes and kissed him softly on his neck.

Obi-wan pulled away quickly, "Aurine..."

"What? A girl has to have some fun," she said, playfully putting hands on her hips. "Now come over here and get comfortable. Or I will make you get comfortable. Your choice."

Obi-wan looked surprised and then cracked a smile, "Were you always this bossy? Or do I just have a terrible memory?"

Aurine went over to her bedroll and laid on her side. Then she and indicated Obi-wan should join her, "No, this is the unsubtle confidence of a young woman who actually is comfortable in her own skin."

As Aurine had suspected, Obi-wan kept the remainder of his clothes on, which was something of a disappointment. To be fair, she was wearing her usual number of clothes as well. Obi-wan kicked off his boots and joined her on the bedroll, laying on his back, and closing his eyes softly.

Aurine watched his chest rise and fall a few times, and inched closer to Obi-wan without making contact, "So, how did your talk with my apprentice go?"

Obi-wan turned his head to face her, "Relatively well, I think. It's going to take some time for him to sort himself out, but I think he will." Obi-wan paused, "I think he loves his friend, Tyra. But I'm not sure if he will admit that to himself."

That diagnosis surprised her, "I think his feelings towards Tyra are complicated, but I would suspect they fall short of 'love.'"

"I'm not going to argue. I'm sure you know your Padawan better than I do."

"You liked him otherwise?"

Obi-wan nodded, "He's seems like a very nice young Jedi. He seems to lack a little confidence, but I think that is pretty normal for someone his age. You've trained him well, Aurine."

"You give me far too much credit," she said. In Aurine's opinion, Sascha hadn't needed any sort of specific training to get him to where he was. He had just needed someone to actually pick him to be a Padawan. She was pleased that she had picked Sascha to be her Padawan, she was just realistic – had Luminara chosen Sascha to be her Padawan, he'd be no different.

Obi-wan looked contemplative, "Hmm...I don't think I do, actually. I can already see your influence in him, and I've only had one conversation with him."

"You are flattering me."

Obi-wan shrugged, "If you want to believe that, that is fine by me." Obi-wan settled his hands softly over his stomach and closed his eyes again, a certain smugness settling on to his features, as if to say 'I know that I am right.'

Aurine knew a way to get back at Kenobi and his annoying smugness. "Do you remember the first time we did...you know...this?"

"I could hardly forget."

"You almost made me forget," she said.

Obi-wan's face scrunched in confusion. Then he looked at her contritely, "Ah, I always forgot how we got started."

Aurine laughed, though she hadn't been laughing at the time. She had been politely minding her own business, practicing a lightsaber kata in one of the smaller practice rooms in the Temple when Obi-wan Kenobi had barged in, looking like he was angry with the world. Aurine figured that Obi-wan just needed to blow off some steam, so she had offered to do some friendly sparring with him. Obi-wan hadn't been particularly interested in a friendly sparring session however...

Usually when her and Obi-wan sparred, which was infrequently, she was generally the attacker and Obi-wan the defender. That day, Obi-wan had only been interested in attacking.

The first clue that she got that something was wrong was when Obi-wan's foot connected to her shin, hard. While normally Aurine was fine with getting hit in a sparring session, usually Jedi held back from hitting as hard as they possibly could, for obvious reasons. When Obi-wan's kick collided with her shin, pain had shot right up her leg and immediately she could tell that she could not put her full weight on her foot.

She protested that Obi-wan had actually hurt her, but Obi-wan hadn't responded. Well, he responded, but not with words, lashing out with another kick that she barely avoided. That was when she realized that Obi-wan was so angry with...something, that he currently just saw her as a mobile punching bag.

She had held on for a little while, trying to get Obi-wan to stop or slow down, but he wouldn't. Eventually, her defences had crumbled. One minute she was standing, putting together a hasty defence, and the next thing she remembered was being on the ground, disorientated, dizzy and in pain.

Her memory of the next few minutes was a little blurry, but she remembered Obi-wan, looking about as apologetic as a human could look, gently shaking her shoulder. She remembered him saying things like "Are you okay? Please be okay," and "Qui-Gon will be furious if he sees this."

The truth was that she was barely hearing what Obi-wan was saying, not just because her ears were ringing, but because she was staring into Obi-wan's eyes and feeling _very_ attracted to Obi-wan Kenobi.

Eventually, Obi-wan had helped her to her feet and assisted her to her room. Once inside, Obi-wan had laid her on her bed, and started asking questions about how hurt she was. She had answered some basic questions, while Obi-wan's hands had searched her body for any damage. Aurine simply waited for an opportune moment, then wrapped her arms softly around Obi-wan's neck and pulled him into a kiss.

Obi-wan had resisted for a second, obviously surprised. Then he had relented, pressing himself against her and kissing her hungrily. After a couple of frenzied moments of passionate kissing, they had broken apart, both of them a bit surprised at the turn their evening had taken. Obi-wan had started to get up to leave, embarrassed at having been so forward. She hadn't wanted to let Obi-wan go, so she had gotten up and tackled him to the ground. He hadn't made any further attempts to escape. They had stayed together the rest of the night, doing nothing more than kissing and cuddling with all of their clothes on. Still, it had been one of the best nights of Aurine Brynar's life.

Obi-wan, obviously remembering that night, shook his head, "I really thought Qui-Gon was going to be upset at me when I told him what happened that night. Instead he just looked at me and said 'I don't think I need to know what you do with your spare time, Padawan.'"

She nodded in agreement, "I had a similar conversation with Master Trynith. She just didn't seem to care."

Emboldened, she and Obi-wan had met each evening for some rather tame make out sessions. While there was always physical component to their meetings they had both used the opportunity to confide in each other. Aurine quickly came to respect Obi-wan's wisdom (as well as his gentle touch). Obi-wan seemed content to have a female friend (with benefits) and he confided in Aurine about his feelings for another Padawan, Siri Tachi and how he had been forced to chose between her and the Jedi Order.

Aurine had come to realize that part of the reason Obi-wan was interested in her physically, was due to the physical resemblance between her and Siri. While Siri was, by any reasonable definition, far more attractive than she was, Aurine was a little taller, a little bulkier, but they looked fairly similar and even had slightly similar personalities. She had never broached the topic to Obi-wan, not wanting to hurt him or even make him think about why he was enjoying his time with her.

Now however, it might be a good time to bring it up, decided Aurine.

"Hey Obi?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you come back, after that first night?"

Obi-wan blushed slightly, "Would you be satisfied with the simple answer? That I simply enjoyed myself and continued to enjoy myself?"

Aurine reached out and gently wrapped an arm around Obi-wan, snuggling slightly closer to him, "Why don't we try for something closer to the whole truth?"

Obi-wan hesitated but then answered, "It's because I was feeling like everything was being taken away from me. My freedom of making choices. You know what it is like as a Padawan, you don't exactly get to make a lot of choices, you just follow orders. Then after what happened to me and Siri...to finally have something that was _my_ choice, it just felt important." Obi-wan looked to her, "You were at least this one part of my life that it felt like I had control over, that brought me pleasure. Everything else in my life was hard, this felt easy."

Aurine felt herself smiling, "You know you could have found someone else to be with. You could have found a slightly better looking girl."

"It never occurred to me," admitted Obi-wan. "I was happy. And you are not exactly ugly, Aurine." Obi-wan reached up and gently stroked her face with a finger.

Aurine enjoyed the sensation for a little bit, resisting the urge to move things in a more intimate direction. "Do you think that these physical dalliances are a bit..unnatural?"

"I think they are the logical outcome given the rules of our Order. _There_ _is no passion, there is serenity_. So we take the passion out of relationships and we are left with this."

"I think it's odd that we have a system where the first Jedi boy I ever kissed slept with my best friend and I'm not angry about it."

Obi-wan turned bright red for a moment, "I wasn't aware that you knew about that."

Aurine laughed and feigned punching Obi-wan, "Luminara confessed to me the next day. I expected to feel something, jealously...anything. I didn't. Instead, we compared notes."

Obi-wan still continued to look embarrassed, "I feel like I should apologize, but I'm not sure what I'd be apologizing for."

"It's fine, Obi. Luminara is pretty. Most of the boys preferred her when we were growing up. And to be fair, I have nothing to be jealous about, you slept with me first," she said behind a disarming smile.

Obi-wan turned to face her. They were so close together she could feel Obi's breath on her skin. But instead of her heart beating faster like it would have when she was younger, she felt comforted. The galaxy may have gone insane, but she could still lie here with Obi-wan and feel something resembling peace. And that, she supposed, was why these dalliances were permitted.

After a short period of silence, their conversation continued, "Do you think that Qui-Gon and your Master intended for us to come together like we did?" asked Obi-wan.

"I suspect that they probably did. The only reason I was in that sparring room that day was because Master Trynith asked me to work on lightsaber technique," she said.

"And Qui-Gon told me to calm down and go spar with someone," said Obi-wan.

They both smiled ruefully at each other, realizing that they had indeed been set up to end up in that sparring room.

"Do you think you'll have to play matchmaker for Sascha?" he asked.

She considered the question for a moment, "I'm not sure. He just seems so _young_ right now, it's hard to even think about him wanting an 'adult' relationship. I'm sure that day will come, but I'm not sure it will be soon."

"I suggest scouting the Temple for girls that look like Tyra Harker," Obi-wan said dryly.

"How about you leave the matchmaking to me, Obi."

"Of course."

In lieu of talking, Aurine curled around Obi-wan, taking the 'big spoon' position. Obligingly, Obi-wan, though he was taller than her, shifted himself so that he was comfortable.

They lay that way for a good few minutes, just content to cuddle. Eventually, Aurine nudged Obi-wan, "Hey, you asleep?"

"No. My mind is too active."

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Right now?" Obi-wan sighed, "Anakin."

Aurine had been wondering about Anakin Skywalker a lot this week. As far as she could tell, Anakin hadn't been at the Jedi Temple, or any of the smaller Temples before this week. Which meant that there was something very special about Obi-wan's Padawan. Aurine had lots of questions regarding Obi-wan's apprentice, she just wasn't sure he would answer them. "I foresee that Padawan Skywalker will give you many headaches over the next few years."

"I think I may have gotten in over my head. He's so young and curious, it is going to be a difficult thing for him to become a compliant Padawan."

"He seems like a good kid, Obi-wan," she said. "He's powerful, but he carries it well. My biggest concern is that he's going to have a hard time making friends."

Obi-wan tensed slightly, "Why is it you think that?"

"Because he's different, Obi-wan! He's already a Padawan years before most Initiates become Padawans. He's powerful in a way that few Jedi are – he'll surpass everyone his own age in a couple of years, heck he'll be beating up _my_ Padawan in a few short years. And to top it off, he doesn't have a clan, does he? You know why we get put in clans as younglings? It's to make sure that every one of us has a long time friend or three to confide in, someone that has known you since your were four years old. Anakin's not going to get that, is he?"

Obi-wan was silent for a few moments, "I've made a terrible mistake haven't I?"

Aurine brushed Obi-wan's hair, "No, you haven't made a mistake. You've merely taken on a challenge. A difficult challenge, surely, but when has Obi-wan Kenobi ever been afraid of taking on a challenge?"

"I'm still not sure that I..."

Aurine cut him off, "Obi-wan. The Council. Did they accept you taking Anakin as your Padawan?"

"Yes, but the circumstances..."

She cut him off again, "I don't care about the circumstances. The Jedi Council accepted you taking this Anakin Skywalker as your Padawan. You shouldn't be second guessing yourself."

"But..."

"Are you claiming to be wiser than the Council? Know more than the most august Jedi of our Order?"

"I well...no. But I feel so very inadequate for my task," said Obi-wan.

Aurine laughed out loud, "Yeah that is par for the course, Obi-wan. You'll figure it out. Heck, _I_ figured it out, so I'm sure you will."

"Yes, but at least you had your old Master to talk to. I don't even have that anymore," said Obi-wan, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Oh Obi." Aurine pressed herself tightly against her friend.

Obi-wan fought against tears for a moment.

Eventually, he lost.

Aurine held on, brushing his hair in the most comforting gesture she could manage at the moment, "I'm sorry for your loss Obi. I can hardly imagine what I will be like when Master Trynith passes." Even the mere thought of losing her Master was a hard one to swallow.

Obi-wan regathered himself, "I look back at what happened to Qui-Gon I see a thousand different ways I could have made a difference, ways I could have prevented his death. It tears me up that I couldn't stop it."

She was curious about exactly how Qui-Gon had died, all she knew was that he and Obi-wan had fought against a Sith warrior and only Obi-wan had survived the fight. "I'm sure you did everything you could, Obi."

Obi-wan sighed deeply, "I know."

Aurine grabbed Obi-wan's hand and brought it to her mouth, kissing it softly, "If I know anything about Qui-Gon Jinn, he would not want you to dwell on his death."

"I know that too. I just feel like I should mourn him, even if I just mourn him in this room, where no one else can see." Obi-wan pulled his hand away from her, "I know our teachings say that we rejoin the Force after we die, do you think that is true, Aurine?"

"Yes."

Her admission seemed to surprise Obi-wan, "You believe in that? You aren't exactly the most spiritual of Jedi."

She nodded, even though Obi-wan couldn't see the motion, "I just think that we know so little about the Force, that the idea doesn't seem impossible to me the way it once did."

"You have certainly changed, Aurine," said Obi-wan, "You certainly aren't the girl that I once knew."

"I evolved, I became more sure of myself, more sure of my role within the Jedi Order and the totality of what that means. It was difficult – you know how I struggled, but now that I've accepted who I am...I'm happy."

"I hope I will evolve similarly in the next few months."

"Having a Padawan will do that – it will test you, but I know you'll end up stronger for the experience," she said.

Obi-wan brushed a thumb over her hand lightly. Aurine shuddered slightly at the soft touch. "I'll never get tired of making you do that," remarked Obi-wan lightly.

"Well you know where my room is," she said.

Obi-wan cracked a smile, "I'll be sure to visit."

* * *

The next day Aurine awoke having had their positions reversed during the night, now she was the 'small spoon' with Obi-wan cuddling around her. Although she would have liked to stay in that position for the next week and a half, her internal clock told her that it was almost time for breakfast with Sascha. Quietly sliding out from beside Obi-wan, she tried not to jostle him awake.

"Aurine?" Obi-wan asked drowsily.

"Time to get up, Obi."

Obi-wan groaned, but gingerly got to his feet. "You are kicking me out?" he asked half-seriously.

"Pretty much. I have a nice young man I have to meet for breakfast."

Obi-wan's drowsy face showed intense confusion. Aurine laughed, "I'm talking about my Padawan, Obi."

Sheepish, Obi-wan started putting on his boots, "It's too early in the morning for word games, Aurine."

Aurine stood in front of her small mirror and put her hair into its usual no-nonsense ponytail, "Shouldn't you be meeting with Anakin?"

"I've put him in a couple of Initiate level classes, just to get him settled."

"So you don't have to do anything, must be nice," she said. She made a shooing gesture, "Now get out of my room Obi-wan."

Obi-wan made his way to the doorway, "We might not do this often, but I always enjoy it when we do." Obi-wan kissed her on the top of her head and Aurine playfully pushed him through the open doorway.

"See you around, Master Kenobi."

Aurine waited for a couple of moments and then made her way out of her room and to her usual refectory. She grabbed a cup of caf and some cereal before joining her Padawan at a trestle table. Sascha looked like he was part of the way to his recovery. He was obviously tired still, but he didn't seem to hold himself like he was waiting for something new to go wrong.

When they were both done with their meal Sascha immediately spoke, "Master, I'm sorry for the way I've acted the past few days. I was just got overwhelmed with everything happening and I didn't react very well. I also shouldn't have pushed you away – I should be using you as a resource."

She smiled easily, "I am glad to hear you say that, Sascha. I know the past few days have been hard, but as long as you learn from the experience, it will have been good for you."

Sascha bowed his head politely, "Thank you, Master."

"Do you have a shift in the library today?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Okay, I think that we need to keep working on your lightsaber skills, so meet with me afterwards?"

"Yes Master, I'll let you know when I'm done in the library." Sascha looked contrite, "Speaking of the Library, I should go there now."

"Go, Sascha."

After Sascha had left, Aurine leaned back in her chair, feeling rather content. Her Padawan seemed relatively back to normal, she had had fun and a good conversation last night with Obi-wan, and everything seemed to be falling into place. All she needed now was a mission. Then her life would be fantastic.


	21. Chapter 20: Foda's

**thejoker122 -** Thanks for the review!

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyway** \- Thanks for the review, as always! The mission is going to be an interesting one, because after things get set up, the plot moves relatively quickly, which is something of a strength and weakness - the book seems to go by fast, but some parts could probably still use a bit more time to 'breathe' for lack of a better word.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- I agree with pretty much everything you said in your review. I think I basically should have left things vague with the whole 'Jedi with benefits thing' and I really got too carried away (as you pointed out.) Thankfully, we are going to move away from that and into the main thrust of the story.

A/N - I got nothing

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Foda's  
**

It took a few weeks, but a sense of normalcy eventually returned to the Jedi Temple. There had been many leads for the various Jedi teams that had been dispatched across the galaxy to track down, but none of them had come to fruition. So while some freshly rediscovered Sith artifacts would have a new resting place in the Jedi Temple, nothing substantial about the living Sith was uncovered. A few of the more optimistic Jedi began openly opining that this unidentified Zabrak 'Sith' could have been the last of the Sith, or that perhaps he had taught himself with ways of the Sith via other means. Whatever the case was, the trail of the Sith had gone cold. And whatever the Council was doing about the return of the Sith, it was keeping quiet about it.

Luminara returned to the Temple, along with the expedition force that had been sent to Korriban. Aurine hadn't been able to get much out of Luminara about their mission to Korriban, obviously her friend did not want to talk about what had transpired on the planet. It wasn't like Luminara to brush her off, but she could only imagine that Luminara had not had on fun time on the homeworld of the Sith. Ultimately, she only cared that Luminara was safe.

More weeks passed, and the more things returned to normal. While Aurine could tell that Sascha was still worried about Tyra (who had not yet returned to the Temple), he generally seemed to have recovered his previous energy and enthusiasm for life. So, while they waited for a mission, they trained.

It was about thirty minutes into her and Sascha's latest sparring session. Sweat was dripping off of her brow and into her eyes and she took a second to wipe it away as she circled her wary apprentice. While Sascha was still not exactly a lightsaber specialist, he had two attributes that he used to great effect. One was that he had an innate grasp of how to fight defensively, even if it came more from desperation and tenacity than technique. The second was that he had good endurance, even for a Jedi. As she stared across at her apprentice, he was crouched, keeping his blade low, and sweating as much as she was, but he didn't seem tired – it actually seemed like he was eager to continue.

"Why don't we change things up a little," she said.

Sascha grinned at her, "Having trouble beating me today, aren't you?"

Aurine extended a hand towards the entrance, where there was a rack of training lightsabers, and she summoned one of them into her left hand using the Force. Igniting the yellow blade, she did a quick little twirl, "Not really, I'm just getting warmed up."

Sascha immediately looked far less confident, and took two steps backwards, "Two lightsabers, isn't that cheating?"

She pointed to the rack, "If you want another, they are there for the taking."

Her Padawan considered for a moment and then shook his head, "I have a hard enough time with one lightsaber as is."

"Well let me show you how you can use two 'sabers at once."

Aurine closed the distance to her Padawan quickly, using the blade in her left hand as a rapier, poking and prodding at Sascha, while using the blade in her right hand to try to sweep around with long, broad, strikes.

Sascha, to her knowledge, had never faced a Jedi Knight that used two lightsabers in combat, and it was showing. His confidence seemed to have been sapped, he did little but back up and parry without any thought as to what his next step should be.

Aurine changed tactics, spinning at her apprentice with her two blades. Sascha parried one blade and then ducked her follow up strike, but it left his footwork compromised. She could have kicked out with her boot and hit Sascha in the chest, but she chose not to. She was not quite done teaching Sascha this particular lesson.

Her Padawan scrambled away, looking to regroup, but he was becoming transfixed on her two lightsabers and was forgetting about the other weapons she possessed. She attacked again, letting the Force flow guide her movements. Sascha parried the incoming blades, his eyes darting back and forth between her yellow and green blades. Then, when she was satisfied that his attention was fully on her two lightsabers, she stepped back and concentrated.

Her Force push, not delivered with a hundred percent of her power, was more than enough to buffet Sascha backwards and onto his back. She followed up her push with a quick leap that brought her to beside her Padawan. She pointed both of her lightsabers downwards at his torso. Sascha looked up at her, his chest heaving, "Do I even have to say it?"

"It's usually a good idea to surrender to the person who has a lightsaber a few dozen centimeters away from your heart," she remarked lightly.

"Good point. _Solah_ , Master. You win. Again."

Aurine deactivated her lightsabers and sat beside her Padawan. Sascha wiped his brow again and then sat up, looking a bit rueful, "I guess I forgot that you had other weapons beside those two lightsabers. Usually I can deflect your Force pushes without much difficulty, but because I wasn't concentrating, it made me easy prey," he said, shaking his head.

"Good analysis, Padawan."

"It's easy to do after you've lost," he said, kicking his foot on the soft floor of the sparring room.

"I threw a bit of a curveball at you Padawan," she admitted. "But what should you have done differently, besides just not focusing on my lightsabers?"

Sascha leaned back, looking at the roof of the chamber, "I don't know, Master."

"Think about the advantages you had," she said.

Her apprentice considered for a moment, "I'm not sure I had any advantages."

"Well, with you having only one lightsaber, you can have two hands on the hilt, which gives you a strength advantage," she said.

"I suppose," said Sascha dubiously.

"But you didn't make anything of your advantage. You just defended, not with strong, defensive blows, but with weak parries, which allowed me to set the pace of the encounter. When you defend two blades with one, you cannot afford to be as defensive as you typically are – you must force your opponent to fight at your tempo, you needed to impose your strength on me."

"So I needed to attack?" he apprentice asked.

"It's not so much about attacking," she responded. "It is about using appropriate force. It's a weakness of form three, Soresu, in my opinion. You give up the initiative to your opponent and focus on defence to a ridiculous extent, it's a form of combat that says any parry is a good parry. Well, in this scenario, those short, weak parries aren't good, because they allow me to keep attacking with my one handed weapons."

"You _really_ don't like that I prefer Soresu, do you, Master?"

Sascha was hitting upon a half-truth. She had always wished that her apprentice would take up one of the styles she preferred, either form five, Shien or form four, Ataru. But the truth was that Sascha would be far better off attempting to master Soresu. "I think Soresu is the best form of lightsaber combat for you, Padawan. I just think you should be made aware of its deficiencies."

"Well at least I don't think I'll have to worry about fighting a Jedi with two lightsabers any time soon," Sascha joked.

She reached out and pushed Sascha lightly, "That isn't the point, Sascha. This is about expanding your horizons and making you think tactically about combat. There is always a surprise that your enemies can launch at you – I'm trying to make you react better to the unknown. Things can get a bit stale here in the Temple, there are no new drills, only new wrinkles to old drills."

Sascha nodded along with her little speech, "I understand, Master. I'd say that I'd practice it...but it's hard to practice for surprises."

"You leave that part to me."

He smiled, "Okay, Master. I'll stay on my toes."

Aurine got to her feet and felt her comlink buzzing on her belt, "Yes?" she answered.

"Aurine. I have a potential mission for you."

She squinted at her comlink. The voice was familiar to her, it was Coleman Trebor a Jedi Master she had some familiarity with. But Coleman was not a member of the Jedi Council or the other, smaller, ancillary Councils, so as far as she was concerned, Master Trebor couldn't offer her a mission. "Master Trebor, have you received a promotion that I was unaware of?"

A deep Vurkish chuckle reverberated through her comlink, "No. I'll tell you the circumstances of why I am offering this mission to you and your Padawan when we meet. Can you come to the map room?"

"We will be right there."

* * *

Sascha bounded along beside her as they walked towards the map room at the Jedi Temple, "You sure Master Trebor won't mind if we show up smelling like we just sparred for half an hour?"

"I doubt he'll be offended," she said dryly.

"It sounds like you know Master Trebor a little. First Obi-wan Kenobi, now Coleman Trebor – I thought you said you were a very minor Jedi Knight, but these are some nice friends to have."

"I'm not friends with Master Trebor," she said. "Coleman is more of Master Trynith's friend than mine." Aurine wasn't quite sure why she had been singled out for a mission by Master Trebor. The Vurk was an accomplished diplomat, but she wasn't exactly a great diplomat herself. Mediation she did well, but she flat out did not have the patience for diplomacy.

Aurine and Sascha entered the map room of the Jedi Temple. The room itself was a domed rotunda with a high ceiling, held up by pillars which lined the walls. Holoprojectors around the chamber could be programmed to create the three-dimensional maps that filled the room. Otherwise, the room was devoid of furniture, you essentially had the choice of standing or sitting on the floor as the stars and planets spiralled over head.

The Vurk Jedi Master Coleman Trebor was staring at the map of a system she knew quite well, but when he saw them enter, he turned off the holoprojector. Tall, with tough, leathery gray skin, and a sweeping head crest, the Vurk was an impressive sight to behold.

"Ah, Master Brynar, Padawan Whitestar, you got my summons," the Vurk said in an accented basic. Stretching out to his full height, Jedi Master Coleman Trebor towered over Aurine and Sascha, at more than two meters tall and well built, the Vurk could have been considered intimidating, but not to her, who knew him well as one of the Jedi Order's most gifted diplomats.

Aurine, her Master Nova Trynith and Coleman Trebor had once worked together for several weeks on Taloraan trying to calm tensions between two rival tribes. It had been one of her finer moments as a Padawan, as her friendship with some of the young men and women from both sides allowed her to give Coleman a critical insight, which he used to defray the tensions between the two tribes. While maybe not friends, the two certainly had a mutual respect for each other. Or, at least she assumed as much.

Sascha stepped forward and bowed politely, "An honor to meet your acquaintance, Master Trebor."

The Vurk nodded solemnly, "It is good to see a young Padawan that remembers how to be polite."

While Aurine appreciated Sascha's politeness as much as anyone, she was a bit more interested in why she was here. "So, judging by the map of the Both sector that was on display when we entered, the mission you are offering me is on Bothawui."

"Indeed. This request came through one of my back-channel contacts," Coleman explained, "I'd meet with them myself, but they requested a Jedi with less notoriety, it seems that some people consider me to be somewhat famous," he said with some distaste.

The rarity of seeing a Vurk in the galaxy and his string of diplomatic successes had made Coleman a favourite of the media, much to the Jedi Master's chagrin. "I suppose I'm not very famous," she grinned, "Who would I be meeting?"

"A pair of Bothans, they are adamant that they don't want any official record of a meeting, for what reason they make this request I cannot see, besides that..."

"…they are Bothans," interjected Aurine, "And their internal politics is neigh indecipherable for us non-Bothans."

The Vurk grinned slightly, amused by her bluntness. "Indeed. I quietly brought their request to the members of the Jedi Council. They suggested that we keep this meeting off the books, and be given to a lesser known Jedi Knight. I believe you are a good fit for this, because you are familiar with Bothan culture, and both you and your Padawan speak fluent Bothese, so you will at least be familiar with their language."

"So we just meet with these Bothans and...offer our services? What exactly do we want me to do?" she asked.

Master Trebor gave the equivalent of a Vurkish shrug, gripping his three fingered hands together briefly, "See what they want from us and if you feel their request is reasonable, you may consider it your mission, all strictly off the record of course."

"And if I don't like their request?"

"Then simply report back to me."

Aurine considered for a second, but there never really was a question if she would accept, "Where did you say we'd meet these Bothans."

The Vurk grinned widely, "Foda's."

* * *

Aurine and Sascha had a quick shower before exiting the Temple. Since the moment Coleman announced where they were meeting the two Bothans, Sascha had not stopped grinning. And it was not the excitement of potentially going on a mission that was amusing him, she knew.

"I still can't believe that Foda's is real," he said for what must have been the fourth time in an hour. "As Initiates we were convinced it was a bad joke that some of the Masters played on us, they used to say, 'if you don't pass this assignment, you'll end up working at Foda's," Sascha shook his head in wry disbelief.

Foda's was located on the fringes of Coruscant's Entertainment district and was widely considered amongst the local population to be nothing more than a tourist trap. Aurine knew better. While Foda's could hardly have been the first restaurant to try use a 'Jedi' theme to lure in customers, Foda's took it to the extreme. Founded by a Jedi that had failed his Initiate Trials and left the Temple amiably, Foda's was unique in that a large majority of it's staff were force-sensitives. It was not unheard of for a being to leave the Jedi Temple one day and be employed at Foda's the next. The central quirk of the restaurant was that when the food was brought to the customers, it was brought out via Force levitation. Each of the servers often did little 'tricks' with the Force to wow their patrons. Foda's paid well and the servers were tipped handsomely, so many failed Jedi found gainful employment working not all that far from the Jedi Temple.

To Coruscant's cynical population, Foda's was nothing more than a trick, they assumed that plates were being lifted via tiny repulsorlifts or various other technological means. Yet, tourists flocked to the place, revelling in the authentic looking dress of the servers and the atmosphere that was faintly evocative of the Jedi Temple. To be fair, the Jedi Temple didn't exactly offer visitor tours, so Foda's was the closest thing most beings would ever having an interaction with a Jedi. Ironically, many Jedi now used Foda's as a clandestine meeting place, it was one of the few places on Coruscant where a being in a brown-travellers cloak didn't look at all out of place.

She and Sascha entered the restaurant and were greeted by a male Selonian in a close facsimile of a Jedi robe. The host of the restaurant merely nodded at the two Jedi and indicated the booth where there were two Bothans anxiously waiting for a 'real' Jedi to show up.

The two Bothans, one male, one female both had pale fur, equine facial features and prominent, pointy ears. Aurine had a sneaking suspicion that the two Bothans were related, judging by their similar colourings. Both were rather well-dressed, with both wearing long tunics that had more than their fair share of ornaments. Frankly, the Bothans were rather overdressed for this casual establishment.

She and Sascha slid into the booth across from the Bothans and spoke immediately, "I am Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar and this is my Padawan, Sascha Whitestar. What can we do for you today?"

The two Bothans glanced briefly at each other, Aurine estimated that they were both in their early thirties, but it was sometimes hard to tell with Bothans. The male answered, "I am Qelba Den'arv of the Bothan Defence Corps and this is my cousin, Selan Den'arv of Bothan Intelligence. We are here today to request the presence of a Jedi Knight such as yourself and your apprentice to accompany us back to Bothawui."

Aurine was struck by a few different things, the first was that Evert Den'arv was currently serving as First Secretary of the Bothan Council, making him the current Chief of State of Bothawui and both Qelba and Selan were of his clan and family, which likely made them close allies or confidants. The second thing that stood out to her was that Bothan Intelligence and the Bothan Defence Corps never worked well together. The infighting and backstabbing between those two organizations was legendary, soldiers didn't trust spies and spies didn't trust soldiers. So while the two Bothans were siblings, she wouldn't necessarily be allies, "I grant you that Bothawui is nice planet to take a vacation to, but I'm not about to pack my things unless I know _why_ I'm wanted on Bothawui and why this request was made through diplomatic back channels."

That declaration sent both Bothan's fur rippling, perhaps in irritation, Aurine, for all her experience in dealing with Bothans still had trouble in determining exactly what emotion was being displayed. "As you wish, as long as this tale does not leave this table," said Selan. The two Jedi nodded in understanding and she continued, "Over the last month there has been a string of high profile robberies at Museums across Bothawui. Whatever group or individual that is behind these thefts is incredibly skilled, and they have left no clues behind. There have been more than six robberies from Museums that we thought to be secure, and we don't even have a list of suspects," Selan said in frustration.

Qelba took over, "We have managed to keep this knowledge from the public, replacing the artifacts stolen with replicas or claiming that the artifacts have been removed for preservation reasons. Still, this not a story that we can keep under wraps for much longer."

Selan continued, "My father does not wish to be known as the First Secretary who lost some of Bothawui's greatest treasures. He has worked too long and too hard to have his legacy be undone by some…thief."

"You don't have any leads?" asked Sascha, "Surely there must be some connecting factor between the treasures being stolen."

Qelba nodded, "We thought there would be some connection as well. We sent the list of what was stolen to twelve experts in Bothan culture, both on Bothawui and throughout the galaxy and asked them what connected them. We got twelve very different answers from them. The thief or thieves aren't picking targets based on monetary value either, on one occasion they stole a painting that while valuable, was nothing compared to one of the five surviving paintings from Jinter Pa'geth, widely considered to be Bothawui's greatest ever artist that was right beside it."

"Everyone who knows about these heists has a pet theory," said Selan, "But no one has more than that, just theories."

"I understand now why you have asked for discretion in this matter," Aurine said, "But I'm not sure why you have come to the Jedi. Neither my Padawan, nor myself are detectives, we would certainly try our best but we can offer no guarantee that we could find what you have not. If you wanted a Jedi with detective skills, you could have made a request through the Jedi Council and they could have found an appropriate Jedi to help you."

"We understand that, Master Jedi," said Selan, her golden eyes evaluating both Jedi, "What we need more than anything is a person to manage the investigation, and liaise with police, the military and Bothan Intelligence, all who want a chance to help solve this puzzle. As is…often the case with things on Bothawui, many see this case as a chance to score political points for themselves or their clan, and the petty rivalries between organizations will get us no closer to finding who is behind this. Everything on Bothawui is political. Even the things that we say that aren't political."

"And when they say it is not political, than you know it is _definitely_ political," remarked Qelba bitterly.

Selan glared at her cousin slightly, her fur rippling in what definitely was irritation, "As you may know, Bothans aren't one of the cultures that places the Jedi on a special pedestal, but we do respect the Jedi, for one reason more than any, the Jedi are strictly apolitical. A Jedi is basically incorruptible, and they do not search for power, to some Bothans that makes them irrational. But we need a Jedi right now. We need someone that can cut through the bureaucracy and coordinate our investigation, without worrying about who is being spurned or playing some sort of political game."

The passion and honesty of the two Bothans surprises her. Most Bothans that she has met tended to be more reserved, and preferred to keep their own council, but Selan and Qelba had been forthright, as far as she could tell. Still, there were some things that she needed to clear up. "I would be remiss if I didn't point out that your clan has the most to lose if these thefts continue and thus I wonder how honest you are being."

"It is true that our clan specifically has a lot to lose if whoever has taken these treasures is not apprehended quickly," Selan admitted. "However I think you should take that as a positive, rather than a negative. Our clan currently wields a fair amount of power on Bothawui and we will be able to help you with favours, supplies, that kind of thing."

"My cousin is forgetting one small thing," Qelba interrupted, "We Bothans are a prideful people, and you know that we wouldn't come to outsiders unless the situation warranted it."

Selan shot an annoyed glance at her cousin and then sighed, "Qelba brings up a good point, Master Jedi, we are asking, no, begging for your help, please don't turn us away. We don't have anywhere else to turn." The pair of Bothan cousins fur went into wild ripples after Selan's last statement, it was clear that they wanted the Jedi to come with them…and it was actually possible that was all they wanted from the Jedi. There would no doubt be a catch at some point, she simply did not believe the in any Bothan being completely forthright, especially on the first meeting with a person.

She considered for a moment and gestured for Sascha to ask any questions if he had them, her Padawan stayed silent so she said, "Then we accept."

Obviously relieved, the two Bothans slumped slightly in their seats. "We have transportation waiting, our ship is the _Celestine Wanderer_ it's in bay 8G at the Valorum Memorial Spaceport."

Aurine nodded, "Then we will meet you there in an hour." A small flicker of disappointment crosses Sascha's face, her Padawan always wanted to show off his piloting skills, but is clearly happy enough just to be going on a mission.

"Then we best make sure our ship is ready," said Quelba, "Thank you, Master Jedi, we will see you in an hour."


	22. Chapter 21: Departures

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- That psychology and tactics behind dual wielding might come into play later (cough, foreshadowing, cough). I definitely think that if they Jedi were real there would be a Jedi themed restaurant on every planet - I mean who _wouldn't_ want to eat at a Jedi themed restaurant? There are some similarities about this mission and the last mission, which a certain Padawan is about to realize... And I certainly look forward to you playing detective over the next chapters!

A/N - I got nothing to say!

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Departure**

Sascha Whitestar packed quickly in his room at the Jedi Temple. Thankfully, there wasn't all that many decisions to be made about what to take on his mission, he simply didn't own all that much. Into his travel bag he stuffed two changes of clothes, a small lightsaber repair kit he had acquired a few years ago and his personal datapad. Satisfied with his packing job, he ensured that all of the equipment on his utility belt was in working order. He checked that his Aquata breather, beacon transceiver and grappling hook were all in good shape. Adding to the standard equipment he packed several ration packs that he had smuggled from the refectory, just in case he needed a quick meal at some point.

Nodding to himself, he ran through his mental checklist again to see if he had forgotten anything. Satisfied that he hadn't he slung the pack over his shoulder and walked swiftly to his Master's room. While walking the short distance he tried to purge some of the excitement that he felt at being able to see Bothawui, one of the galaxies cultural hubs. His choice to learn Bothese had been considered a curious one. Most Jedi Initiates learned Huttese, a common trade tongue, and one that was used predominantly in Hutt space. Yet he had avoided its study precisely because it was so common, and it certainly seemed like it might come in useful in the very near future.

Yet, the more he thought about the upcoming mission, the more his excitement faded. He was still interested in seeing Bothawui, but he wasn't particularly interested in getting caught up in the politics of another planet. On his last mission to Kuat what had seemed like a simple protection mission had instead been a devious plan from Itoma Kuat to instigate a revolution on the planet – one that would have seen her elected President of the planet.

Sascha rang the chime to Master Brynar's room and the Jedi Knight emerged, looking energized by being given a mission, a brown travel bag also slung over her broad shoulders, "Ready, Padawan?"

"Um, can we talk for a minute first?"

Aurine frowned, "What happened to your enthusiasm, Padawan? You were just about bouncing off the walls a minute ago?"

"I'm...not sure about this mission Master. It feels too much like the last mission we went on...when you were hurt..."

His Master knelt, "That mission was a rarity, Padawan. Not every mission has twists, turns and betrayals. Sometimes missions are straightforward."

"So you think this mission will be easy? It seems like it could be quite complicated."

"I don't know how this mission will go," Aurine admitted, "All I know is that I am a capable Jedi and I will have my faithful apprentice beside me."

"That doesn't inspire that much confidence in me," he said dejectedly.

"Sascha. Our fist mission was a bit...harrowing, I'll admit. But most missions proceed relatively smoothly. On this mission, I think we'll do a lot of advising, a lot of cajoling, and a lot of arm-twisting to get our way, but remember, this is about finding a thief. Or thieves. This is what we do as Jedi. We go where we are needed and help those that need our help."

"I know," he said, staring at the ground, "It's just that...I don't want to be manipulated again. I hated that Senator Kuat was just able to direct us like we were a bunch of puppets. I don't want to happen again."

Aurine patted him on the top of his head gently, "Padawan, it is good to be wary, it is another to be a cynic. A Jedi must always be clearheaded, we cannot afford to take our biases out of the Temple – we must see each situation for what it is." Aurine stood, "You'll be fine, Sacha. You are an intelligent young man, and you have my trust."

Sascha kept his head bowed for a second, "Thanks, Master."

Aurine started walking, "Come on, Padawan, we don't want to leave our Bothan hosts waiting."

"Right behind you, Master."

* * *

The two Jedi made their way to docking bay 8G at the Valorum Memorial Spaceport, so named for the Chancellor that served the Republic almost a thousand years ago, not the one that had just been voted out. He was not very impressed by the ship that the two Bothans had procured. The _Celestine Wanderer_ about forty years old, which meant that it was probably about ten years away from being scrapped for parts. It had some creature comforts including a nice holotable, but nothing outstanding. In almost every way, it was just average, which of course made it a great ship to use when you did not want to attract a lot of attention. Sascha would have preferred to take his ship, the _Emerald Dream,_ which had just been returned to the Temple fully retrofitted, in what was a _mea culpa_ from the Kuat family. As he wandered around the ship, getting used to his surroundings he figured that it would probably have ended up being a waste to take his ship. This mission, at present, seemed to be pretty straightforward, just arrive on Bothawui, find whoever was stealing these artifacts and then leave.

Somehow, he doubted things would be that simple.

On the plus side, the ship had four cabins, so it at least spared the Jedi from rooming together, he was close with his Master, but not share-a-room-with-her close. That would just be awkward.

It was a trip of several days to Bothawui in hyperspace. While Bothawui wasn't that far away from Coruscant, there was not a direct hyperspace lane between the two worlds, so the _Celestine Wanderer_ had to drop in and out of hyperspace to get to Bothawui.

Saddled with several days aboard cramped confines of the ship, he spent the first day on his own searching through the information given to the Jedi about the thefts. He looked for any connection that there might have been between the various thefts that had occurred across Bothawui. He figured that because he was an outsider, bringing in no outside biases that he might be able to see what others could not.

He didn't.

It didn't surprise him. Sure, a younger version of himself, perhaps one from a few weeks ago would have been confident that given a couple more days he could unravel the hidden connection, but not this current version of Sascha Whitestar. Because, as he was learning, he was not as brilliant as he previously thought he was. Sure, he was _smart_ , but now he was clearly aware that he was also capable of moments of idiocy. Painfully aware.

The second day after departing Coruscant, he was in the lounge of the _Celestine Wanderer_ using his datapad to refresh his memory of some of the finer points of Bothese. He was fluent in the language but it sometimes took him a half-second to translate from Bothese to basic and he figured that by practicing for a few hours he might be able to eliminate that annoyance.

"Brushing up on our language I see," said Quelba as he stepped into the small lounge.

Sascha rubbed his eyes trying to purge some of his fatigue, "Yes, I figured it couldn't hurt."

"You speak Bothese well for someone so young," Quelba said conversationally, "But you don't have the same accent as your Master, she speaks like someone from one of the colonies, you have the accent of someone from the capital, Drev'starn."

"That's because I learned how to speak Bothese on Kothlis," said Master Brynar, stepping into the lounge as well. "Master Ven'nari taught me, and I guess I picked up the local accent."

Quelba's eyes widened, "Master Ven'nari? You know Knol Ven'nari? The hero of Bothawui?"

Sascha was impressed as well, Knol Ven'nari, a Bothan, was a legend in the Jedi Order. Nicknamed 'fire-eater' for her mastery of pyrokinesis, the Jedi Master was a fierce warrior that went where she pleased, one of the few Masters that openly defied the Jedi Council. She was loyal to the Force, not the Jedi that sat on the Jedi Council. Sascha was starting to think Aurine's protestations of being a 'minor' Jedi Knight were ringing a little thin.

Aurine prowled around briefly then shrugged to herself, "Not much else to do around here, so I might as well tell the story of how I met Master Ven'nari."

Aurine settled into one of the nearby plastoid gray chairs, "Early on in my apprenticeship, I was a very young, very hard-headed, very stupid young Jedi. It was only my second or third mission with Master Trynith and we were sent to Kothlis to deal with a group of arms smugglers that had moved in. It should have been a relatively simple mission, we found the smugglers easily, all we had to do was show up and start arresting them."

His Master heaved a sigh, and rubbed her temples, "It was going well until some of the smugglers we had arrested broke free and commandeered a speeder. I was reckless and jumped on the back of it as they fired the engines and sped away. I barely held on – I should have let go, I mean the smugglers weren't going to escape Kothlis on a speeder. The smugglers flew over the forest trying to dislodge me, and eventually, they did. I fell into the Arblis forest from a fair height, I used the Force to break my fall the best I could but... it wasn't enough."

Aurine grimaced, "I'm not sure what I hit my head on, but when I awoke it was nighttime and I had a massive headache and an empty stomach. My comlink had broken in the fall and I could barely use the Force due to the serious concussion I received, so I had no way of contacting the outside world. I'm sure Master Trynith went looking for me, but it was a large forest and we hadn't quite forged a connection yet, so the search was going to be quite tough. Plus, I was unconscious for so long, it must have seemed like I died. So, I was alone, badly hurt in a hostile forest and I had little chance of being rescued."

"I had ruptured something internally during my fall, so whatever little Force power returned to me I used on healing myself, just trying to keep my body from collapsing. I survived for a few days by finding a river and eating whatever plants that looked edible. One night, I went to sleep knowing deep in my heart that I wasn't going to wake up, I was just done…it was the end of my story." Aurine paused for a long moment, but neither Sascha nor Quelba dared to interrupt the rhythm of the story.

"When I woke up, I was being carried by a Bothan. She told me that her name was Knol Ven'nari, and she was a Jedi Master. I don't know how she found me, or why she was even looking for me, but she found me just before I would have died. I was so weak that I would just fade in and out of consciousness as she carried me. It felt like I was in a dream to be honest. There were times that I thought that I had died and I was currently in the afterlife."

Aurine paused again, "Knol had to pause every few hours to heal me, to keep me from fading completely. To keep me occupied on something besides how badly I was hurt she started teaching me Bothese. I barely remember much of the journey, but I remember the lessons of her language. After Master Ven'nari delivered me to a hospital, I spent several weeks in bed recovering so when I had a spare moment, as a small tribute to the Jedi that rescued me I continued to learn the language. The doctors and nurses were amused by my tenacity, so they kept helping me, one especially nice nurse spent hours after her shift was over helping me with my study, so I guess I picked up the accent from them."

Sascha was sure his eyes were wide in wonderment, it seemed like his Master had a well of stories, each more amazing than the next, "That is quite a story, Master. Did you ever see Master Ven'nari after that?"

Aurine nodded, "A couple of times. Master Trynith for obvious reasons felt a great deal of gratitude towards Master Ven'nari, so we spent a couple missions working together. I picked up a couple of tricks from her, nothing too useful, but it was an honor just to be taught by her, considering she's never taken a Padawan to this day. We even spent more time on Kothlis working missions, but those are boring stories, I'm afraid to say." Aurine seemed deep in thought, probably reliving some of those memories, Sascha was pleased just to hear a story from his Master's past, a past she had kept somewhat guarded from him.

Aurine perked up, "I'm interested why you chose to study Bothese, Sascha. I understand wanting to learn Sluissese, given your connection to that world, but Bothese? No offence to our hosts, of course," said Aurine gesturing to Quelba.

Quelba smiled easily, "No offense taken, I know what are reputation is in the galaxy. It's a reputation we deserve. Do feel like something of a third wheel in this conversation, I can leave if you'd like."

"If we wanted to have a private conversation, we'd have done so," said Master Brynar.

Sascha took a deep breath and answered the original question, "It's an easy answer, really Master, its because I find Bothan culture fascinating."

Quelba barked a laugh, "That's not something you hear every day."

Sascha smiled at the member of the Bothan Defence Corps, "I understand that sentiment as well, Quelba. Most people see Bothans as a species that is more than happy to lie, backstab and everything in between to acquire more power. I merely see it as a species that is honest with itself. What species doesn't seek power or influence over others? What species doesn't favour protecting and promotion of family and clan over strangers? Each species plays politics in its own way, Bothans are just up front about it. I don't really see a problem with it."

"The problem, Master Jedi," said Quelba in a serious tone, "Is that it becomes impossible to separate politics from ability. Take me for example, I am a Captain in the Bothan Defence Corps, now did I achieve that position because of my intelligence, my good reviews, or simply because someone owed someone in my clan a favour? It is impossible to know."

He looked to his Master for support, but she merely raised her eyebrows, so he forged ahead, "That could be said just about everyone. We ask these questions all the time, did that news anchor get that job because she was pretty? Or because she was sleeping with the boss? Or was she the most qualified? We even have internal politics within the Jedi Order, believe it or not. There is no such thing as an apolitical organization."

Quelba's ears flattened against his head, "What kind of politics could the Jedi get into? They…you are just servants of the Republic."

Aurine nudged him gently in the Force, a subtle message that this was not a subject to talk about with a stranger. Whoops.

It was true though, the Jedi Order was definitely not apolitical. Even a young Padawan like him could see it. It was said that the easiest path to the Jedi Council was not through hard work or service to the Republic, but being the Padawan of one of the sitting Council Members. Of the twelve Jedi Masters currently sitting on the High Council, Ki-Adi Mundi, Oppo Rancisis, and Depa Billaba had been Padawans to Yoda, Yaddle and Mace Windu respectively. While this was something of a self-fulfilling prophecy because strong Jedi Masters often chose Initiates that were strong in the Force, it had been quietly observed by some Jedi Knights that the High Council had become an echo chamber for the Order's wisest Masters. While no one begrudged Yoda, Yaddle or Mace Windu their spots on the High Council, some openly wondered why their Padawans were chosen to be on the Council over other equally qualified Jedi Masters.

"My lawyer is telling me not to answer that question," said Sascha, as he smiled slightly to hopefully gloss over the awkward exchange.

Quelba did not take offence, "It's okay, no one likes to air their dirty laundry in public."

Aurine snorted, "A Bothan that is not interested in pressing for valuable secrets. That must be a first."

Quelba looked placidly over at Aurine, "I've never been a very traditional Bothan, as you may have been able to tell, Master Jedi." Nettled, Aurine settled into her chair, pretending to find something interesting on her datapad. "An interesting conversation, Master Jedi, though I would love to continue it, I must relieve my cousin in the cockpit."

"We are more than willing to take a shift monitoring the ship, Quelba," Sascha replied.

The Bothan smiled faintly, "We would be terrible hosts if we made our guests work on our ship. We insist, it's a matter of Bothan pride if you will."

Sascha waited until Quelba was far enough away and then asked his Master, "Do you trust either of those two?"

"I trust Quelba a little. He's a military officer, those types tend to be pretty straightforward." Aurine leaned back in her chair, "I wouldn't trust Selan at all."

"Why is that, Master?"

"First, because Quelba doesn't seem to be overly enthralled by being around his cousin."

He frowned, "How could you tell that?"

"It's a body language thing. I'll show you what to look for later," she said. "The second reason I won't be trusting Selan is that she is the daughter of the First Secretary of Bothawui. I'm sure she is very loyal to her father. And the third reason is that she is a spy."

He leaned forward, "I got the impression that she was more of an analyst than some who went into the field and did actual spy work."

His Master grinned, "That's exactly what a spy would tell you."

* * *

"Remind me, Padawan, when we travel again, to travel either on a larger ship, or on one with a faster hyperdrive." A few days later. the two were alone in Aurine's room, which was slightly larger than his own. The _Celestine Wanderer_ was a day away from Bothawui, but both Jedi felt like they had been aboard the ship for a month.

He gave his Master a sympathetic look, "You were the one that told me to put the _Emerald Dream_ into the Jedi vehicle pool. It's not much bigger than this ship but it's much, much faster. Sluissi pride you know, the few Sluissi technicians at the Temple would be mortified if the _Dream_ was anything less than state-of-the art."

Aurine rubbed her temples, "How could I have been so correct and so obviously wrong at the same time?" Sascha shrugged, not sure what kind of answer he was supposed to give. "In some ways I'm a terrible Jedi, Sascha."

Sascha smirked at his Master, "I'm going a bit stir crazy too and I actually enjoy having quiet time for myself…of course I'd like to be able to stretch my legs out as well." The two Jedi had spent much of their time on the ship meditating, Quelba was a reasonably personable being to converse with but Sascha found Selan insufferable, so he avoided her as much as he could on the small ship. Sascha knew that his Master was something of a caged predator, she liked being active and without any chance to exert herself physically she could get cranky.

"Just one more day," Aurine muttered to herself, "Anyways Padawan, I wanted to talk about what I expect from you on this mission. While this may seem like a straightforward mission, I highly, highly doubt that this mission is as simple as Selan and Quelba have said it should be. The world of Bothan politics is as twisted and intricate as any in the galaxy and you have to be aware of it. However, because these artifacts that have been taken are of value to all Bothans, I'd expect that we will get cooperation…to a point. Do not rely on your ability to detect deception; Bothans are masters at bending the truth."

He nodded sagely along with his Master's instructions. Aurine continued, "I think it might be best if we split up, for example I might liaise with Bothan Intelligence and you could liaise with the Bothan police, and together we can coordinate their efforts so that they are not stepping over each other. Aurine Brynar stared deeply into his eyes with a questioning look, "Do you feel ready to take on an assignment like that on your own?"

"I'd prefer to work with you, Master, but yes, I'm fully capable of working well on my own."

"You will do well Padawan, I am sure."

Sascha nodded at the implicit compliment, "Have you been able to look into the Force for guidance on this mission?" Sascha rarely got any insight from the Force regarding his future, though on one occasion he had seen what would be on the dinner menu at the Temple a week in advance. He was pretty sure that if the Force was capable of mocking someone, it had been mocking him that day.

Aurine contemplated, folding her legs into a cross-legged position, "I have not been able to get much direction from the Force, but I would not read too much into that. Be careful, trust in the Force and be prepared for anything." The Jedi Knight unfolded her legs, "Now we might as well work on your telekinesis, I know it's not one of the skills you are best at but…"

Sascha sighed but prepared himself for the lesson, letting the Force swirl around him…


	23. Chapter 22: Politics

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** 'Fun' fact about Yaddle, in the old cannon, she sacrificed her life to save Anakin when he was 14 or so. Man, talk about making the wrong decision...

I actually felt that Aurine's little story was a bit of a waste, since it doesn't really reveal anything new about her - she was a dumb young woman and is tough as hell, but I think I got that part across earlier. Sascha's certainly a bit more prepared for this mission than his last one - it's like anything, the first time you do something it's scary, intimidating. The next time you do that same thing? A bit easier. And I'm surprised you don't know anything about Bothans - they were a popular species in the old cannon, they were pretty much renown for backstabbing and plotting (just look up Borsk Fey'lya, dude was a piece of work)

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- I mean the Jedi act pretty dumb for a group of people who can occasionally see into the future. There is corruption and darkness in the Senate? Never investigate the Chancellor! Anakin Skywalker looks like he is madly in love with Padme? Meh, what could go wrong! Send them together on a romantic holiday, I'm sure that will go well! And so on and so forth. The part about the

A/N - This chapter is a bit of an info dump, so hopefully there is enough else going on to keep you entertained. More mystery and action coming right up though.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Politics**

The _Celestine Wanderer_ set down in a spaceport in the metropolitan heart of Drev'starn, the capital city of Bothawui. The capital city was the largest on the planet and was the political and business hub of Bothawui. Sascha found the city to be refreshing change from the dense urbanization of Coruscant. As they flew overhead, he could see several large and well-maintained parks were located not far from the main business centres. The more he saw of the city the more he liked, the architecture was more…delicate and intricate than the buildings on Coruscant, where buildings generally had to be built a certain way because space was at a premium. Buildings on Drev'starn could be built more languidly, with less of an eye towards functionality, and he appreciated the artificial beauty.

After they landed, Quelba and Selan contact the First Secretary and told him that the Jedi had arrived. While they all waited for their appointment with the First Secretary the two Bothans gave the Jedi a brief tour of the city. While normally a pair of Jedi arriving on Bothawui would not have rated a meeting with the Head of State, because they were clearly arriving on his behalf, a meeting, even if it would not be a formal one, was something of a necessity. Sascha was glad to just get the opportunity to stretch his legs after being on the _Celestine Wanderer_ for the past several days.

After a short walk, the two Bothans brought Aurine and Sascha into an audience with the First Secretary, and member of their clan, Evert Den'arv.

The two Jedi were escorted into the Combined Clans Building, which hosted the legislative wing of the Bothan government. Quickly, the Sascha and Aurine were brought to a large, oval office room an introduced to the First Secretary of Bothawui, Evert Den'arv. Evert greeted his two his two clanmates warmly before politely dismissing them. The First Secretary was an elderly Bothan wearing distinguished looking clothes, all reds and golds, the colours of his clan. His gray eyes radiated a deep intelligence and though the Force, Sascha could sense a deep sense of sureness, this was a man at the top of his profession, enjoying his moment in the sun.

With his two clanmates gone, Evert closed the door and bowed his equine head slightly to the two Jedi, "Master Brynar, Padawan Whitestar, thank you for coming to Bothawui."

"It was our pleasure, First Secretary," said Aurine, "I know that my Padawan is excited to see Bothawui in person."

Evert smiled slightly, "I hope that once this situation is concluded, your Master will allow you to do a little sightseeing."

"I hope so too, First Secretary," he replied.

Aurine smiled politely, but turned the conversation towards more important matters, "We got a little bit of a briefing from Selan and Quelba, but I'd like to get more details from someone who knows all the specifics. I assume that will be you."

Evert didn't seemed phased by the Jedi's blunt talk, "I was just going to brief a few of my colleagues about the situation, would you object to being briefed at the same time?"

"Of course not, First Secretary Den'arv," said Aurine smoothly. Sascha had to hide a smile. Aurine had changed her body language from her usual casual confidence to the upright bearing of a diplomat. Knowing her as he did, Sascha found the transformation deeply amusing.

Evert pressed a button on his desk and said something that Sascha couldn't quite make out in Bothese. A few moments later, two extravagantly dressed Bothans entered. As they did, they cast surprised looks at the two brown-cloaked figures in the handsomely appointed room. As usual, the two Jedi looked totally out of place, their drab brown cloaks were much different to the rich dress of the three Bothans in the room.

"When you called us for this meeting Evert, you failed to mention that we'd be meeting with Jedi," said one of the two Bothans. Sascha recognized from his research as Fenn Biree'lar, one of Evert's main political opponents. He wondered why the First Secretary would want someone that was likely to be hostile to his intentions in this meeting.

The First Secretary nodded to the two newly arrived Bothans, "Fenn, Askrut, thank you for being here so early in the morning. Our two guests are Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar and her Padawan Sascha Whitestar, and they are here to help us with a problem of some urgency."

The second Bothan, Sascha assumed was Askrut, seemed to be the oldest of the three. He nodded politely to the Jedi, seemingly interested in why they were here. "I was unaware we had an urgent problem on Bothawui," Askrut said evenly.

Fenn observed the Jedi behind a guarded expression, "Especially a situation that was so terrible we had to bring in Jedi to help out."

Evert, obviously refusing the bait from Fenn, spoke in a neutral tone, "I've been able to keep the situation out of the public eye, but we do have a serious problem." Evert took a deep breath and folded his hands together, "Over a period of a little over a month, ten artifacts of appreciable value have been stolen from museums and galleries all across Bothawui. While our most precious artifacts, such as the first printed copy of 'The Way' and Jinter Pa'geth's paintings all remain in our hands, some our most precious artifacts have been taken. Including, I'm afraid to say, 'First Contact on Dressel,' which has been taken from its supposedly secure storage facility. I will transmit a full list of what is missing to your datapads."

Evert sighed, and sat behind his large, ornate desk, "Progress has been slow, that is to say it has been non-existent in terms of finding who has taken these artifacts. The police have admitted as much, and instead of turning the investigation over to the Defence Corps or Intelligence, I have decided that this matter is too important and that the Jedi should be in overall command of the investigation."

The two Bothans took the news soberly, seemingly a bit stunned at not knowing that such a widespread cover-up had been taking place. Askrut recovered first, "Has there been any injuries during these robberies?"

Sascha had been wondering that as well. Evert shook his bearded head, his fur rippling softly, "There have been no deaths and only a few minor injuries. A couple guards were incapacitated briefly, knocked out by some sort of coma gas, but that is it. A few droids were destroyed, but whoever is perpetrating these crimes seems to not want to inflict any physical harm."

Askrut grimaced, "Have the thieves tried to sell the artifacts?"

Evert shook his head again, "As far as anyone can tell, whoever has stolen the artifacts is still in possession of them."

"I can see why you've asked for the Jedi now, Evert," said Askrut calmly. He then turned to the Jedi, "Jedi Knights are far too rarely spotted on Bothawui for my liking, I am pleased to see that you have not ignored us when we have called for you."

Aurine bowed fractionally and replied in Bothese, "The Jedi are always prepared to serve."

The use of Bothese surprises the three Bothans for a split-second, "You know, Master Jedi, abandoning a hidden advantage like the fact that you know our language would almost be considered a crime in the eyes of some Bothans," Askrut said with a bare hint of amusement in his voice.

"We are not here to play political games; we are here to return these artifacts to their proper place," replied the Jedi Knight. Sascha suppressed a smile. Aurine was not Luminara, who was more conciliatory when dealing with others. Aurine was straightforward, she was firm, but polite with these politicians, which they were obviously not used to. He may have not had his datapad open, but he was taking notes.

"You are unusually silent over there Fenn, what is on your mind?" prodded Evert.

The younger tan and grey furred Bothan responded, "I am wondering why I shouldn't walk out of this room and call a press conference. A press conference where I announce that our beloved First Secretary has turned over the investigation of whoever has stolen these priceless artifacts two some young Jedi Knight and her youngling apprentice." If Fenn was looking to get a reaction from either Jedi, he would be disappointed; the brown-cloaked Jedi simply took the insult stoically.

"You won't do that because it would be political suicide Fenn," said Evert patiently. "If you were to do that and our investigation goes sour, who would be more culpable, the First Secretary who appealed for help, or the political rival that made the information public, letting the thieves know we are on to them?"

"I know _that_ , Evert, I'm asking what is in this for me," retorted Fenn.

Sascha was surprised by how bold Fenn was being, he imagined the world of Bothan politics being more about backroom deals and subtle threats, but Fenn was just straight up asking for a favour to be given to him. In addition, if Fenn was known for being bold like this, why did Evert invite him to be one of his confidants? Maybe Evert had made a mistake? Or maybe Bothan politicians were wildly overrated.

Evert shrugged languidly, his fur rippling softly, "I'm offering you a chance to be on the winning side, Fenn. Imagine the press conference, you, Askrut, and me, maybe the two Jedi, the beings that have returned some of our greatest treasures to their rightful place."

Fenn's eyes narrowed, "You would do that for me?"

The First Secretary barked a laugh, "I'm not doing it for _you_ , I'm doing it because I _know_ you Fenn. I know you want to be First Secretary more than anything, and if it took torpedoing this investigation through whatever means necessary, then you would do it. You would do it because it would destroy my career and as my chief rival, your status would be elevated." Fenn's fur ruffled and Sascha could feel his irritation in the Force, but Evert continued pontificating at his rival, "I would prefer to use my year in this office to build a legacy, and I can't do it if that if you hamstring me, so here we are."

"So you are betting your political career on these two Jedi?" said Fenn casting his gaze back and forth at the two humans. Fenn laughed exuberantly, "Well, good luck, these two have the combined age and experience of about someone half my age, I'm sure they'll do great. I'll be there to pick up the pieces after they fail."

Askrut seemed offended by his colleague's reaction, "You openly hope for these Jedi to fail, that some of the most important artifacts of our culture will be lost for all time. I knew you were callous Fenn, but this is a step too far."

Fenn shrugged, "Artifacts are of the past, I am more interested in the future. A future where I will be First Secretary. I've wasted enough of my day here. It was charming as always, Evert." Fenn pulled himself to his full height and walked pompously out of the room.

"Delightful fellow," Aurine noted dryly.

"Well, now you know who gives Bothan politicians a bad name," replied Evert seemingly not all that upset about Fenn's outburst.

"At least we are not all like him," Askrut said to him, as almost to apologize.

"He plays his role as is necessary," said Evert laconically, settling into his chair and folding his hands together.

Sascha again wondered why Evert had invited Fenn, surely, it would have been better to invite some of his allies or confidants to this meeting?

The First Secretary continued in an airy, self-satisfied tone, "Of course his opposition of me makes him rather predictable. I've been waiting for a chance to ensnare Fenn into a trap, and this was my opportunity to spring it. His distrust of the Jedi blinded him to the trap I set and now he's stuck in it."

"Forgive me for not grasping the finer points of Bothan politics, but I don't see how Fenn loses from this," said Aurine, speaking for both her and her Padawan.

The First Secretary of Bothawui was more than happy to educate the Jedi, "Fenn sees this as a no-lose situation for him. If we get the artifacts back, nothing has changed, if we don't, he'll find a way to make sure he's in the position to benefit and he'll be in position to become the new First Secretary. That is how he sees it at least. But, if we get the artifacts back, I'll make a statement about what happened in this meeting, how callous Fenn was acting." Evert preened slightly, "No one would believe me of course…Fenn and I are rivals and it would be seen as standard mud-slinging. But, perhaps a former First Secretary that has been known to have opposed me in the past would confirm my story. He would have no reason to lie, nothing to gain…"

Askrut smiled widely, "Why yes, after today I may be inclined to make such a statement, after seeing for my own eyes how Fenn acts when a crisis is put in front of him. We don't need leaders like him."

"It won't be a knockout blow, but he will lose some supporters, enough to keep him away from becoming Head of State," said Evert, looking very pleased with himself. It was, in Sascha's estimation, a pretty clever plan that Evert had executed.

"So, I guess we really need to find that thief…and with some haste," commented Aurine.

Evert waved her comment away, "It is probably best if you ignore our political machinations as much as possible. We will scheme, that is simply what we do as politicians. This little scheme also has done another thing which I'm sure you noticed, I've tied my political fate to your success, so you know that I will be backing you with all of my power. You won't have to worry about being stabbed in the back by a conniving Bothan politician. Well, at least not me," admitted Evert.

"You've put a lot of faith in us, we will do our best to make sure it is not misplaced," Aurine said solemnly.

Evert chuckled quietly, "When has faith in the Jedi ever been misplaced? When bandits attacked Bothawui it was Knol Ven'nari that led our defence. Whenever there is an outside force that threatens the Republic it is the Jedi on the front lines, I am merely repeating the past on a smaller scale."

"Why did you not just approach the Jedi Council, as a Head of State of an influential world, your request would have been taken seriously," asked Aurine.

"A good question, Master Jedi," Evert said smoothly, "It was simply a matter of maintaining the secrecy that I have worked so hard to maintain around this investigation. The action of petitioning the Jedi Council for a Jedi team to be sent to Bothawui would have been impossible to conceal, so I decided to utilize some of my most reliable allies to use the diplomatic back channels to make our request. I did not think it would be a problem."

"The only problem was that if you had come to the Council and described your problem, the Council could have sent a team of Jedi that was better suited for this task. But because secrecy was you main concern, you got us," Aurine said bluntly. The Jedi Knight held up a hand to forestall incoming comments, "We are not wholly unsuited for this mission, as you have seen, we both speak Bothese, but neither myself nor my Padawan are investigators. We will do our best, of course, and it will likely be enough, but next time when you have a crisis, don't bother playing political games with the Jedi Council."

Evert was not at all thrilled about being upbraided by the young Jedi Knight, but Askrut interceded, "Perhaps it would be best if we discussed the logistics of the investigation," he said, turning the conversation in a different direction. Sascha had taken an instant liking to the elderly Bothan, he seemed every bit the elder statesmen that he dressed like, and he was mediating between his Master and the First Secretary with aplomb.

The First Secretary glared briefly at the two Jedi, but the Bothan spread his hands wide, "I'm a politician, I stay within my area of knowledge. I have no interest in giving you orders or looking over your shoulder during the investigation. Askrut will tell you that I'm someone who delegates, I find the best persons for the problems set before me and I let them do their work, while I provide support in whatever means that may be. I see no reason to change that now. My daughter Selan and my cousin Quelba have been placed in charge of task forces within their respective organizations that will be searching for this thief. Normally this would be above their station, but I do have some influence," said Evert modestly. "However you want to place yourselves within these task forces is up to you, Master Jedi. Or if you want to reorganize them that would be your prerogative."

"The police are not involved?" asked his Master. "I understood that they had been in charge of the investigation."

"The police have had their time in investigating this crime, they will resent the investigation being taken from them, but that was a necessity," replied Evert.

"Very well," said Aurine, "My Padawan will liaise with Quelba and the Bothan Defence Corps, and help with their investigation. I will do the same with Selan and Bothan Intelligence. Two investigations, both being helmed by Jedi should allow us to tackle the breadth of this assignment. And as they say, two minds are better than one."

There was a brief flicker of surprise in the Force from Evert, but he covered it well, "Far be it for me to argue with a Jedi Knight. We have prepared accommodations for you so you can refresh yourselves after such a long trip."

Aurine glanced briefly towards him, and he responded with an almost imperceptible nod, "We'd actually prefer to get started as soon as possible,"

Evert nodded appreciatively, "Very well, I will recall Quelba and Selan and then you can be on your way. May the Force be with you."


	24. Chapter 23: Mystery

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** Yeah although hyperspace travel is fast, if you are on a small ship for a few days you would probably feel claustrophobic after a couple of hours. I think what you get with Aurine is that she is direct, so she isn't going to bother hiding an advantage (though perhaps they don't know that Sascha speaks their language as well...and everyone always discounts the teenager!) It kinda showed that the Jedi are above playing 'games' - they were brought here for a reason, not to get entangled into some petty feud between politicians.

 **thejoker122** \- Yeah this does have a little Lupin the third in it, with a Star Wars twist. A little politics, a little mystery, a little Jedi...sounds like a good mix!

A/N - So we are going to get a little more detail about what is actually happening, and reveal just about our full cast of characters for the rest of the fic.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Mystery**

Before the First Secretary could bring Quelba and Selan back, Aurine pulled him aside for a quick chat. "Are you comfortable with the assignment I gave you, Sascha?"

He hesitated, "I'm okay with it because I see your logic. But I would have rather worked with you, Master."

Aurine nodded, "I know you wanted to. But I have faith in you, Sascha. You are more than capable of handling yourself."

Strangely, he actually agreed with his Master. "Any tips for what I'm going to do, Master?"

His Master smiled, "I'm not going to tell you to do your job. Organize the task force whatever way you see fit Padawan, but beware of how others will see you. You are sixteen, an alien to these Bothans and a Jedi to top it off. Be too commanding and they will resent you, be too lax and they will bully you. Find a middle path. And don't trust Quelba, or anyone besides me for that matter. Trust is a foreign concept on this planet. I will see you tonight and we'll continue to coordinate from then."

"That was quite a pep talk, Master," he said sarcastically.

"I suppose I won't quit my dayjob and become a motivational speaker then," replied his Master, matching his sarcastic tone.

He smiled at his Master's joke and picked up his comlink as it rang, "Yes?" he answered.

Quelba's voice answered him, "I'm waiting for you outside."

"Okay, I'll be right there," he said. He shrugged at his Master, "Gotta go. I'll see you tonight?"

"I'm sure the First Secretary has found us some overly extravagant house for us to stay at."

"Ooh, I'd like to be pampered."

Aurine rolled her eyes, "Don't get any ideas, Padawan. Now go, I'll see you later."

Sascha bowed politely and made his way out of the Combined Clans building, easily finding the unremarkable grey speeder that he had somehow procured. He hopped into the passenger seat, "Where are we going, Quelba?"

"Eval'ca military base. It's on the outskirts of the city."

"Sounds like a fun place to be."

"It's a laugh a minute," Quelba said flatly.

Quelba fired the engines of the speeder and smoothly merged into the late evening traffic. Sascha stared out the window as they drove, watching the city as it sped by. He started to think about how many people the city contained, how many individual stories were playing out just past his fingertips. Then he shook his head. Why was he daydreaming when he was in the middle of a mission?

"You know," Sascha said conversationally a few minutes into their ride, "The last time I was on a military base I almost died."

Quelba's ears flattened but he kept his eyes on the road, "That sounds like an interesting story."

"It certainly is," he replied. Truthfully, he hadn't totally recovered from the emotional fallout from that mission. And it didn't help that the further this mission went along, the more it reminded him of his nearly fatal mission to Kuat.

After a short pause, the Bothan continued, "Then why did you choose to come with me when you could have gone with my cousin to Bothan Intelligence?"

"Oh, I like you a lot better than I like her," he said.

Quelba barked a laugh, "Yes, she can be very annoying can't she? I've tried for years to avoid her at clan gatherings, but our paths keep crossing. I know she'll go far in Bothan Intelligence, she's committed to playing the political game, and now with her father the First Secretary she's reaping the benefits, including running her own task force now."

"Something you are also getting to do," he pointed out.

"I like to think I got my position on merit," Quelba replied, a hint of sarcasm evident in his voice. The Bothan bowed his head for a moment, "It just shows that no matter how much I try to stay away from politics, it always comes and finds me."

"Maybe we should just forget about that, and focus on how we are going to find that thief," the Padawan suggested. "What kind of resources do you have available for this task force?"

"You want a briefing, boss?"

"I'm not your boss, Quelba."

"Sure seems like it," the Bothan muttered.

"Quelba. I may be a Jedi, but I'm sure you have a lot more experience in running task forces than I do."

Quelba squinted, "Am I supposed to be reassured by that?"

The Bothan had made a solid point, but Sascha wasn't going to let him dwell on it, "Perhaps it is best to think of me as an outside observer, one who is very dedicated to having the task force succeed," Sascha said in a reasonable tone. "If this is a special task force...I'm certainly the most special."

Quelba seemed discomfited by that idea, and he could understand why. Military lives were regimented, if you were a Lieutenant you were inferior to a Colonel and so on and so forth. Yet a Jedi Padawan like himself did not fit at all into that sort of hierarchy. Sascha lapsed into silence, trying to figure out how to bridge this divide. Quelba beat him to the punch though, "I might as well tell you what I have planned. I have been given freedom by my superiors to select up to five others for this task force. Theoretically I have complete autonomy and the ability to use all the resources of the BDC, that's the acronym for the defence corps. Though, it remains to be seen if that will actually be the case."

"And you've already selected the four others that will make up the task force," he said with certainty.

Quelba startled, losing control of the speeder for the briefest of instants, but they were the only speeder on the road so it was a harmless mistake. "How did you know? How could you know I only picked four out of the five spots I had available. Did you do a Jedi thing and read my mind?"

This was going to be hard to explain, he thought, "Sorry, your thoughts kind of...came to me in a flash of insight. But to be clear I don't have anywhere near the ability to read your mind," Sascha said sheepishly.

Another long silence stretched as the kilometers flew by. Finally, Quelba exhaled loudly, "I think I'm just glad you are on our side, Padawan Whitestar."

* * *

At only sixteen years of age, Sascha was becoming fairly certain that if you had seen one military base, you've essentially seen them all. Militaries all across the galaxy seemed to prefer blocky, functional buildings painted in the dullest shade of steel gray available. And this was exactly what he saw when he and Quelba reached Eval'ca military base.

He was also getting used to being an object of attention. Quelba's speeder had been stopped at the gates of the base. Quelba had flashed his identification at the bored guard standing on duty, but the guard's attention had perked up once the Bothan had announced that his guest was Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar. A brief debate had ensued over whether the Jedi would be allowed to take his lightsaber inside the base, he was adamant that his weapon should stay by his side, but the guard had apologized and asked for further instruction. Delayed for a good five minutes as the request went through the bureaucracy at the base, the guard had shamefacedly admitted the Padawan to the base with his lightsaber and the apologies of the base's commander.

Once inside, it was instantly clear to the young Jedi that Quelba was in his element inside the base. He carried himself straighter and seemed more confident. It took Sascha slightly by surprise, Quelba had not had the bearing of a professional soldier during their time aboard the _Celestial Wanderer_ , but he had adopted those airs the second he set foot inside the base. Quelba had forwarded all the information they had to his four colleagues so they were hard at work by the time he and Quelba, Captain Den'arv, he corrected himself, had arrived.

The task force had a small room to itself where they could work without disrupting the rest of regularly scheduled events at Eval'ca military base. The four Bothans, three male and one female, that made up the task force regarded him with slight interest as he entered, they currently seemed more interested in their commanding officer. "I'm glad to see you got started without me," he said lightly as they entered. "My young friend is Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar, he'll be assisting us in our search."

"He's going to use his Force powers to solve our mystery?" the female Bothan snorted derisively.

"I think you'll find it useful to have a Jedi on your team," Sascha replied calmly.

"Is the Jedi in charge?" asked one of the other Bothans pointedly.

"Nope," he said before Quelba could answer, "I'm an observer, a team member, an ally. I hold no military rank and I will not be ordering Captain Den'arv around." The three male Bothans seemed to take the news in good spirits, probably pleased to be working with a Jedi, but too disciplined to show it. The female, her fur colour a striking reddish shade, flattened her ears at him, and he could sense her distrust of him in the Force. Well, Sascha supposed, he wouldn't want things to be too easy...

The four Bothans settled back to work, and he turned to Quelba, "Captain Den'arv, you have not given me an assignment."

While Quelba settled into a plastoid chair, his posture contemplative, the female Bothan spoke up, "Maybe he should ask 'the Force' for his assignment." Sascha refused to take the bait, and simply ignored her.

"Each of the members of the task force have been chosen for a specific reason," replied Quelba. "We are hoping to use their specialties to get a better picture of whoever our intrepid thief may be. Do you have a specialty you'd like to add to the group?"

Sascha hesitated, what sort of specialty did he have that he could apply to this task force? He could say that he didn't have one, but that would make him seem like a weak and helpless child, just a Jedi that had been tacked on to the task force, but of no real use. "I'd have to say my knowledge is pretty broad, but if there was something you think is missing I'd be willing to try to fill the gap." Sascha hoped that his proposal didn't sound too pathetic, though it seems that the others in the room barely take notice of his conversation.

Quelba rapped his nails on the table while he contemplated, "Why don't you try to get a broad understanding of all the facts then? Be the person who asks the right questions, that kind of thing. Once we have a handle on what we are dealing with, we'll decide where to go from there."

"Sounds good to me," he said, grabbing a datapad and beginning his own searches.

He'd already read most of the available information concerning the thefts on the way to Bothawui so he merely has to update his notes for the two thefts that occurred since they had left Coruscant. Even that took a while so by the time Quelba called the task force together Sascha had just finished re-reading his notes.

"Strask, why don't you start us off," said Quelba. One thing that Sascha had noted was that within the task force military ranks were discarded, either Quelba didn't care for them or it was a conscious decision by him to make the team all feel more equal, Sascha made a note to ask him about that later.

Strask Eshka'ia had held a degree in psychology before finding out that his calling was within the Bothan Defence Corps. His role within the task force was to prepare a psychological profile of the supposed thief. The brown furred Bothan paced slowly at the front of the room, "While we don't know enough to make anywhere near a complete psychological profile, I've come to some preliminary conclusions about our thief. The first is that the way this thief or thieves operate suggests a level of complexity that is not often seen in thefts of this magnitude. Our thieves do not cause harm to other beings more than what is absolutely necessary, they don't leave any clues and they haven't made any demands. That suggests to me that they are motivated by something beyond money, perhaps they are idealists of some sort, but certainly they are not a class of common criminal. In my opinion, we are looking for a person or group that is highly motivated, highly organized and that has a particular goal in mind. We know they are not motivated exclusively by money by their choice of what they have stolen, but whether they are building up to a sort of 'grand finale' or they will just get bored of robbing museums remains to be seen." Strask sat and slumped slumped into his seat slightly, "I really don't have much to go on, but as soon as we develop any more clues I can begin narrowing down the profile."

"I guess we are next." The pair of Crem Irys'lon and Iraek Asyr'rey straightened in their seats. Crem was a reformed criminal, he had some minor thefts on his resume but when placed in front of a judge he had been offered a choice of joining the Bothan Defence Corps or jail. He chose the BDC and was forging a nice little career for himself. Iraek was a technical wizard who had been recruited into the BDC with the promise that the Bothan Defence Corps got all the best technology before any civilians did. Together they had been tasked with determining how these ten thefts had been orchestrated.

"Iraek and I have spent the last several hours taking what we know about these thefts and trying to ascertain how they were done," said Crem, his fur rippling softly. "While the first few thefts were reasonably straightforward, even a simpleton like me may have been able to pull it off, given the right support. After museums across Bothawui realized what was happening, security was increased, but this did not deter our little thieves. 'First Contact on Dressel' was removed from what was supposed to be a safe storage site beneath the museum. Enough people knew it was there, but the site itself was supposedly one of the most secure in all of Bothawui…I'm still trying to figure out how they got into there."

Iraek piped up, "They must have disabled the security systems beforehand. However, I'm not sure how they managed to do that without setting off eight different alarms either, and the guard on duty swears that no one entered the control room."

Crem grimaced, "While these security preparations were not exactly unbreakable, there were a couple of security protocols that were defeated that drew my attention. The first was a laser grid at the Drev'starn Cultural museum. Because this museum holds some of our most valuable artifacts, this museum is well guarded and its most precious artifacts were specifically protected by an intricate laser grid. The pattern that the laser grid makes is random and thus almost impossible to predict." The former thief shook his head, "I don't even have the slightest idea how one could have defeated the laser grid, it's too intricate, too random. You'd have to be an amazing gymnast to even have the slightest chance of getting past it."

"Could the laser grid have been disabled?" Quelba asked Iraek.

"It can be disabled, but there is no record of it being disabled or even interfered with. A slicer with enough skill could have disabled it, I suppose, but it would have been a task that would have taken several weeks."

"So you could have done it?"

"Of course," laughed Iraek, the tech genius mimicked like he was surrendering to the police, "You caught me, Quelba." A brief chorus of laughs echoed around the small room.

"How did they evade being viewed by a security droid or a security camera? I assume that there were several in position to see our thieves," asked Quelba.

Crem and Iraek shared a look, "Some of it they avoided with good planning, I mean we have pictures of a hooded figure from three different heists, but there was no way to get any identifying features from the pictures. The only thing we can conclude is he or she is probably a Bothan, or a humanoid of around that size," said Crem.

"They also managed to 'fuzz' or disable for a short period of time a number of security droids and cameras. Sad to say that the camera equipment guarding these museums was not all that high end, and there are several black market products they could have used to achieve this result," commented Iraek. "Still, something about how they did it strikes me as different than your usual deactivator, I can't put my finger on it though."

"Good work you two, any idea as to what we are dealing with?" inquired Quelba.

"Well…"drawled Crem. "It could be one thief who makes the entry and lots of technical support simply provided to him beforehand. Or it could be one master thief with a whole lot of time on his hands," Crem threw his arms up in frustration, "Who knows? Ten robberies and all we have are the smallest clues. I wonder how good a thief this guy is, I wonder if even our esteemed Jedi friend here could have accomplished what he has done.

Sascha sat back in his chair considering the question, after a while he said, "Yes, I could probably manage all of that, gymnastics is a Jedi specialty and I could certainly Force flash the cameras and the security droids. I'd give myself a decent chance of failure, but it is within the realm of possibility that I could have done all of this."

"Alright, case closed then," said Crem dryly, "We'll just arrest the Padawan and call it a day."

Quelba smiled grimly, "Not sure we have the resources to arrest a Jedi Padawan at the moment," he then turned to the female Bothan, "Liska, tell us what you've found."

Liska Vulk'ok was the team's expert on threat analysis, which meant that she had detailed knowledge of the groups that would be considered threats to Bothawui and the Bothan species as a whole. With Bothans hardly being the most beloved species in the galaxy, it was probably a long list of enemies. "Thanks Quelba, I believe now more than I did at the start of this briefing that these thefts are being supported by an outside force that wants to weaken Bothawui. We start with our standard motives for any crime – money, ego, ideology and coercion. We can remove money because they've stolen paintings of less value when more valuable pieces were available. Ego doesn't seem to fit either, so that leaves us ideology and coercion, which pretty much means the same thing in my opinion. The only problem is, I can't identify a single group that these crimes make sense for."

"While we as a species have plenty of enemies, this seems like a rather unlikely way to get back at an entire species over a trade dispute or a piece of political manoeuvring. And again we return to the specific pieces of art that have been stolen – why do they not fit into a pattern? Why were more valuable, more beloved artifacts left behind and less valuable ones taken? It seems to me almost, that our thief is stealing these artifacts just so we'll take notice of him. But even if that is true, where are the list of demands? Where is the humiliating press conference with our species' most valuable artifacts in the background?" The Bothan paused, "Now that I say that out loud, these thefts may actually be ego motivated, though that might be Strask's area of expertise more than mine," concluded Liska.

"So you don't think it's political dissidents, or an independence movement on one of the colonies?" Sascha asked. Bothawui had a couple of smaller colonies worlds within its sphere of influence, with Kothlis being perhaps the most important amongst those. Still, the worlds tended to be pretty happy about being a nominal colony world to the populous and powerful Bothawui.

The female Bothan's fur rippled, "We know they aren't motivated by money, and if anything what they've stolen indicates a lack of knowledge about our history so we can remove domestic dissidents and independence groups, who certainly know the history of Bothawui well enough not to make those mistakes."

A long silence filled the room, despite all the expertise in the task force, they seemingly had more questions now then when they started.

"Anyone have any ideas as to what to do next?" Quelba asked.

"Wait until they make a mistake," muttered Crem.

"I think maybe we should investigate one of the theft sites, maybe see if we can do a better job than the police did, and perhaps have our Jedi friend try to recreate the thefts, if I recall correctly the Drev'starn Cultural museum is closed to the public tomorrow, so that would be a good day to investigate," spoke Iraek.

"Maybe our Jedi can use his magic to do something useful," muttered Liksa.

Quelba shot Liska a stern look, quieting the female Bothan. "I think investigating at the Cultural museum seems like a good idea. Let's meet there bright and early tomorrow. You are all dismissed for now, let me know if you find anything interesting in the meantime."


	25. Chapter 24: Museum

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways aka Guest -** That joke by Crem was a little bit on the nose for Sascha wasn't it? That was some good speculation, but I'll clarify a few things - Bothawui is a democracy, there is always tons of infighting and little schemes for those that pursue power - though stealing artifacts is probably a tad over the top. We'll have all the characters after **this** chapter actually, that is my mistake for forgetting about someone (and it is an important someone I forgot).

 **thejoker122** \- There is something about this whole situation that screams 'things are not as they seem,' doesn't it?

 **LordDarthYoda -** Bothan naming conventions...I mean does _everyone_ need a ' in their last name? And you are right that this plot is a little too small scale for a big name like Thrawn or Palpatine - but the person behind this does have a connection with some of the themes that were discussed earlier - there is a specific conversation that seemed very innocuous at the time, but is actually foreshadows a lot of what is happening on Bothawui.

A/N - So I'm just going to update on the progress of the series as a whole - I actually got writers block while writing the end of book 3. Whatever I would seem to write was just not living up to what I had in my mind and the standards I have for this series. So I decided I would take a break, do some editing and come back later. I actually finished the first 4 chapters of book 4 before I came back to the end of 3. And I'm super, super glad I did, because everything just seemed to 'click.' There is a pair of chapters in the next fic that I think are my favourite chapters yet - I can't wait to share them with you guys. Of course thats chapter like 45 of the next book so its going to be a while...but we are going to get there, I promise!

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Museum  
**

Sascha Whitestar returned in the evening to the small house in the suburbs of Drev'starn that the Jedi had been granted use of during their time on Bothawui. The house was nothing particularly special, but it had the advantage of having an advanced security system installed so the Jedi could rest peacefully…if they chose to trust a security system over the Force. Master Brynar was already waiting for him when he returned, looking rather upbeat, "Make any progress on the case, Master?" he asked.

The blonde-haired Jedi Knight grinned, "No, but I did get to toss around some Bothan spies on the sparring mats. It was very therapeutic after a long journey through hyperspace, and having to sit through a day of spies telling me in very fancy ways that they don't know anything."

Sascha rolled his eyes at his Master. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to say that you shouldn't be exerting yourself frivolously when on a mission like this?" He put his hands on his hips and made his voice into a childish whine, "Master, how could you! The mission could have been seriously imperilled if you'd been hurt!"

Aurine frowned mockingly at him "If you use that tone of voice again I'm going to give you a week of kitchen duty when we get back to Coruscant," she said with a devilish smile.

He fell dramatically to his knees, bowing his head obsequiously, "Please, don't do it Master, I beg you!"

Sascha could almost feel his Master rolling her eyes, "Get up Padawan, its time to debug the house."

The house they had been provided was bugged, obviously. To expect anything less would have been the height of naivety. The Bothans that had bugged their lodgings had at least treated the Jedi with a modicum of respect, they had laid two sets of bugs, one that had been sloppily hidden, so sloppy it was almost insulting, but the second had been cleverly, one could almost say deviously, hidden. He and Aurine removed the first set of bugs but left the well placed ones in their positions. To remove the well hidden ones would invite their Bothan hosts to install yet more listening devices. The Jedi weren't bothered by the idea that they were being monitored, but didn't want to seem that way. There were standards that needed to be upheld after all.

"Was it really necessary for them to bug our house? We are on their side," he commented, as he scraped on his knees, trying to get at a tiny audio device that had been planted behind one of the refreshers.

"Spies spy on everyone, Padawan, its in their job description," she said.

"Even other spies?"

" _Especially_ other spies. How do you think they get promoted?"

Sascha snorted and crushed another listening device into an unrecognizable pile of parts.

* * *

The next day Sascha and his Master again went their separate ways having quickly exchanged their information via an untraceable datapad transmission. Aurine approved his itinerary of visiting the Drev'starn Cultural museum and trying to recreate the break-in and theft. The Jedi Knight had planned a day of interrogating security guards, museum curators and the like –all had been interviewed before, but it was different being asked questions by a police officer and being interrogated by a Jedi Knight.

Sascha met up with Quelba again and the pair drove to the Drev'starn Cultural museum, where the rest of the team awaited them. The Drev'starn Cultural museum was a surprisingly garish building, having for some reason decided that the exterior should be decorated like it was a painting itself. While perhaps a good idea in theory it stood out like a Rancor in the middle of a quiet, plaid street where it was located.

"Modern art," Crem scoffed, "I can't believe my tax dollars paid for this new renovation."

"I'm sure they'll ask you for your opinion next time they renovate this place," said Quelba sardonically as the task force walked up the marbled steps to the grandiose doors.

"Hey, it couldn't hurt..." said Crem.

"Well, how would you have built it?" asked Sascha.

Crem scratched his head, "I don't know."

Sascha stifled a laugh.

"I'd be more worried if you _did_ know, Crem," commented Quelba. "But enough talk, we are here for a reason and it isn't sightseeing. Strask, you're on entertainment duty, keep our curator friend busy, make him think you are interrogating him or something. I don't want him interfering or snooping around"

"Sure thing, Captain Den'arv."

"Crem, Iraek get the museum's security system set up so our noble Jedi friend can try his luck at besting it," commanded Quelba.

The two nodded and departed leaving Sascha with Quelba and Liska, to meander around the museum while their comrades completed their assignments. Liska had not really warmed up to him, but much to the Padawan's relief she was not as openly hostile as she had been previously. "Do your Jedi senses tell you anything?" inquired Quelba.

Sascha dropped lightly into the Force, probing his surroundings, there was something…off about this building, but it was a rather vague sort of premonition. "I can't find anything specific right now. But it's better if I have something specific to focus on. I'm going to wander around and see if anything jumps out at me," he promised the leader of the task force.

"Keep me posted," said Quelba, "And you don't need my permission for anything. Just go where your senses tell you."

A few minutes later, Crem found the small group admiring some of the artifacts from the museum, Sascha had been entranced by a relatively simple piece of artwork that was over twenty-five thousand years old. It was a rather modern seeming piece of art, the only colour used was black, but the way that the artist used light it made the colour as vibrant as a more 'colourful' hue. "Master Jedi, we are ready for you," he said bowing in a mocking manner. "The rest of you can join us in the viewing room."

"He means the control room," said Iraek flatly.

"Yes, but my way sounds better," Crem retorted.

Sascha decided it was hard to see the former thief as a military officer of any sort, but decided if he was a common soldier he might appreciate having a trickster like Crem be his commander than a more demanding officer.

Alone, he went to the main room in the museum, an open hall flanked with large pillars and a large skylight above, it was a jaw dropping effect to go from the small, almost cramped corridors of the previous section of the museum into this grandiose room and the curators had likely designed it that way. Without warning, the lights went out, leaving only the small emergency lights activated. A second after that, an intricate pattern of laser beams appeared, crisscrossing the room in their red glow. He tried to get a sense of a pattern he could take advantage of, but he could barely process all the beams. He was somehow supposed to get through all these beams and to the other side of the room? It seemed impossible.

 _Except that someone managed to do it_ , he reminded himself.

Sascha activated his comlink, "Why don't they make the spaces in between the lasers smaller?" he inquired.

Crem snorted, "They probably want to encourage suckers like you to think they have a chance in defeating the system. Now go on, I've got fifty creds on you being successful."

The young Jedi didn't need the Force to know who had taken the other side of the bet. "I'm ready, just make sure the lasers are set to a reduced setting, you probably don't want to be around if I end up horribly maimed, I doubt my Master will take it well."

"Don't worry, the lasers are set to their lowest setting," said Crem, being serious for once.

Sascha removed his brown cloak and lightsaber leaving them in a small pile in the doorway. Then he closed his eyes to focus himself completely on the task, purging his doubts about himself and his capabilities of doing this task. Feeling confidence flood into him, he sprang into the room. Immediately he was forced into drastic action, having to backflip quickly off one leg to avoid an incoming beam. He then carefully cartwheeled around a pair of laser beams that came far too close to his face for his liking. There was no room for doubting the Force in doing something so intricate though, it was either give yourself completely to it, or fail.

He was naturally athletic, even if he was fairly short for a human. Usually this didn't matter very much, all Jedi trained to be in peak physical shape, but sometimes that extra natural talent could be useful. This was one of those times. He was moving around the room in a way that it would have made a gold medal-winning gymnast from the Galactic Games jealous, but his manoeuvres were not artistic, merely practical. Yet the more he moved, the more tired he became. He couldn't use these sort of intense, Force-aided movements, without draining himself rather quickly. A more powerful Jedi probably wouldn't have had a problem, but he did.

He tumbled awkwardly around another set of beams before realizing he had to drop flat to the floor to avoid a beam that had suddenly changed direction above him. Sascha half expected to hear the alarm go off, but miraculously the beam missed him by fractions of a centimetre. He had no time to appreciate his good luck, as he had to jump and corkscrew into a furiously spinning ball just seconds later.

Sascha had given himself so completely to the Force that he didn't immediately realize that he had reached his destination. When he did realize where he was standing, and came fully back to his senses he was sweating and breathing heavily, but he thumbed his comlink on "Turn off the grid, mission successful," he said before sitting down to try to collect himself. The laser grids retracted and the lights turned back on, and Sascha waited for the task force to rejoin him.

"Wooo! Fifty credits, hand them over Liska," shouted Crem as he walked into the large display room, holding the Padawan's brown cloak and his lightsaber. Grudgingly, the reddish furred Bothan counted out fifty credits and handed it them to the former thief.

"So, it is possible to defeat the laser grid," concluded Quelba, as the Bothan inspected the room. "That tells us that our thief is, or has access to, a master gymnast, or at least someone who is capable of feats of agility that equal a Jedi. I suppose there are some species that could probably manage it."

Sascha shook his head, sending his Padawan braid bouncing from shoulder to shoulder, "I'm honestly not sure how someone could do that without the Force, if I had misjudged anything I would have failed. My gymnastic ability was quite secondary to my ability to predict where the lasers were going to be seconds from now."

Quelba frowned, "So you are saying our thief is a Jedi? That seems rather unlikely."

He shook his head, "No, I'm saying that it seems far more likely that they disabled the laser grid somehow. Short of someone being Force-sensitive, I don't think it is possible to defeat the laser grid"

Iraek shrugged, "That is what the manufacturer said when I called them last night. I might as well check out the system while I'm here, maybe see if a bug deactivated it for a short time or something. I'll need some help though."

Quelba nodded, "Lead on then, we'll check the security system for intrusions and the like."

"If you don't mind, I'll stay here…I think that if I focus, I can find whatever was bothering me in the Force earlier," Sascha said.

Quelba hesitated for a second, then relented, "Okay, Master Jedi, contact us if you find anything,"

Sascha collected his cloak and lightsaber from Crem, he attached his lightsaber back on his belt, but put the cloak away, he was still warm from his exercise routine and he didn't need the warmth or the layer of anonymity that his cloak provided. The Padawan realized that he should have tried to find the small disturbance first and then tried to defeat the museum's security system, he was still rather tired from the exertions that he had just made. Sascha sat in the middle of the grandiose room and dropped into a light meditation just to get a feel for his surroundings and to help him restore some of his energy from his previous exertion.

Content that he was ready to begin his examination of the building, he dropped deeper into the Force, letting go of some of his sense of himself. Whatever he had sensed earlier in the morning he couldn't seem to detect. Sascha felt himself frown, he'd been sure that there was something of interest in the building earlier and now it was gone? That didn't seem right. He sighed to himself, sometimes he wondered if the Force just enjoyed playing tricks on him, planting the idea that there was something worth investigating at one moment, then when he went to find out what that was, making it seem like it never existed.

The easy thing to do would have been to give up and write off what he felt earlier as a strange coincidence, but Sascha Whitestar didn't give up that easily. He learned long ago that whatever shortcomings he had in terms of his power with the Force he had to make up with hard work and relentless determination, so he pushed himself deeper into the current of the Force. At once the room seemed different, like it had been cast in a haunting glow, the pale beiges of the room's display cases suddenly turned a rainbow of colours, making the room seem more like a psychedelic dance hall than a museum. The effect was constant… except for one of the walls on the far side of the room. The wall was pitch black and it seemed to almost pulsate evil. Shocked by the discrepancy his meditation fell apart and he returned to full awareness of his senses.

Sascha rubbed his eyes, feeling somewhat faint, whatever he'd just done left him feeling rather drained, like he'd done an entire training session in only a few minutes. He gathered himself as he rose but he'd underestimated how weak he was, as he almost stumbled into an antique stone carving, one that could have easily broken if he'd knocked it off its pedestal. Sascha leaned against a nearby pillar steadying himself for a moment before at last and then made his way over to where he'd detected the disturbance.

It looked like a wall, just like all the others in the room, but with the memory of what he felt still at the forefront of his mind, he was pretty sure that there was something different about this particular wall. He ran his hand gently across the surface of the wall at random, trying to detect anything out of place with his sense of touch that his eyes could not detect. He came across one section of the wall where there was the tiniest change in texture. Sascha stopped and looked at the area more closely. The part of the area that he had just run his hand over was not part of the wall at all, it was merely blending in with its surroundings. Strange.

He scouted the outline of the object, it was a flat circle that couldn't have been longer than his forefinger in diameter. Using a thumbnail to pry the object off the wall, he was able to remove it with a small exertion, whatever adhesive had been used to stick the object to the wall hadn't been too strong.

Sascha examined the small object, noting with interest that it appeared to be trying to change its colour to fit in with the pale shade of his skin. Some sort of camouflage capability, the Padawan thought, pretty interesting for an object so small. But what was it doing in on a wall in the Drev'starn Cultural museum? It couldn't be a listening device, who would want to listen to museum patrons? Curious, he examined the disk in greater detail.

He found a small button on the underside of the almost flat disk, and as he pressed it, the object produced a small holographic display. In a tiny but clear holo, stood a hooded figure, his black cloak concealing any identifying features, "My name is Weliss. At the time indicated by this countdown, I will steal what Bothans prize most." The figure then disappeared and a countdown began, by his quick calculation, this promised theft was supposed to occur tomorrow night.

Well this is certainly a break in the case, he thought. Sascha activated his comlink, "Captain Den'arv? You're going to want to see this."


	26. Chapter 25: Messages

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** Weliss is almost certainly an alias - what kind of thief would go by his real name! (Maybe a really self confident thief?) I actually almost deleted that enter little bit about the bugs in their house, because it kind of broke up the flow of the story, but Aurine's strategy and the little back and forth between Master and Padawan amused me, so I kept it in.

 **thejoker122** \- Oh, I think he's expecting someone to find those little clues that were left behind. A master thief is bound to have a bit of an ego, after all.

 **LordDarthYoda-** In my head I always pictured it more like the laser grid scene from Ocean's Twelve, but there was a bit of a Mission impossible vibe too, for sure. Riddler is a very good reference (actually the one I was going for!). I originally wanted to do a 'joker-esque' villain, but it didn't really fit for what I was going for. More riddles/mystery incoming!

A/N - I got nothing.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Messages**

"What Bothans prize most? You're sure that was the phrase that was said?"

"Positive, First Secretary Den'arv," replied Sascha Whitestar.

There had been a flurry of activity after he had made his discovery at the Drev'starn Cultural Museum. After some brief deliberations between Iraek and Crem, it was determined that what he had discovered was a tiny, one use holodisplay. The little device had continued on it's count down, one that would end during tomorrow night in Drev'starn. What the device could not be persuaded to do, was to display the message that he had seen, the one that had promised that someone named 'Weliss' would steal 'What Bothans prize most.' What exactly that meant was by that phrase was anyone's guess.

Currently, searches were underway at the other theft sites, searching for similar holodisplays, but Sascha wasn't all that confident that Quelba and his team would find anything, considering he wouldn't have found it without the Force. For now, he and Master Brynar had been recalled, along with Selan, to the office of the First Secretary to discuss this new twist.

"What Bothans prize most?" The First Secretary repeated. He then shook his head, "That's not a phrase I'm familiar with. Does anyone have any preliminary ideas? It seems that we are on a timer here."

Selan looked flummoxed, "I've set my team on it," she said, clearly unhappy that the first break in the case had been made by Quelba's team and not hers.

"Neither myself or my Padawan have enough experience with Bothan history or culture to help in this matter," Master Brynar said cautiously. "Perhaps it would be best if we examined the other museums ourselves. After all, it was my Padawan who found this clue," she said, turning and bowing to him slightly. Aurine had praised him in private, which had been awesome, but having her bow to him in public...in front of a Head of State for a major planet? It was an amazing feeling, and he could have sworn that he was floating a few inches off the ground.

Unfortunately, he knew that his finding only seemed major because of the lack of progress the investigation had made up to this point, they were still a long way away from finding who was stealing these artifacts. But maybe they were closer, and that was good enough for now.

"I do hope that Captain Den'arv and his team can find more of these...devices, as it would be nice to have confirmation about the specifics, for now it is best if you help us plan our next steps," said Evert with a hint of authority in his voice.

Aurine was about to speak, but Selan butted in, "I'm interested in what Padawan Whitestar said was the darkness that surrounded this object. I assume that it's some sort of message in the Force and I was wondering if you would explain to me what it indicates." Sascha wasn't sure how to answer that question, so he turned to his Master for help.

"That is actually more common than you'd think, Ms. Den'arv," Aurine said smoothly, as if she answered questions like this every day. "For example, a murder weapon will often give off a dark side aura, and the more heinous the crime committed, the stronger the aura may be. It is possible that this device was made by an evil man, or it was handled by someone who gave this device it's dark aura. It's really difficult to say. Especially as I didn't handle it myself."

Selan's fur rippled, "So it's definitely not a good thing, is what you are saying."

Master Brynar was forming a reply when his comlink rang. He blushed, embarrassed, "Sorry, but I think this is Quelba, err... Captain Den'arv."

The First Secretary waved a furred hand, "Put him on."

Sascha activated his comlink and put it on speaker so that everyone could hear, "Captain Den'arv this is Sascha. I'm here with Master Brynar, First Secetary Den'arv and Ms. Den'arv."

"Thank you, Master Jedi," said Quelba, through the comlink. "I'm here at the Gel'arx Art Museum. We found another holodisplay, this time we recorded the message it broadcast so we could play it back. We didn't need to have bothered really, it was exactly as the Jedi said, word for word. I'm uploading the recording to your datapad just for posterity."

"Good work Captain Den'arv. Rendezvous with the rest of the team and get to work on figuring out what this 'Weliss' is talking about," said Evert. "We will keep you up to date."

"Copy, I'm on my way back to base."

Evert sighed wearily and sat heavily in his large and ornate hoverchair, "I had hoped that perhaps you had misheard the message, Master Jedi, but it seems you've arrived just in time for our master thief to deliver his final performance. I must ask how is it that the police missed these holodisplays for almost a full month? They claim that they swept the entire place for bugs."

"Well you know what they say about police officers on Bothawui, First Secretary – they are made up of Bothans not clever enough to be politicians, spies or soldiers," commented Selan.

"Yes I'm starting to see that truism just might be correct," replied Evert jadedly.

"If we could remain focused on the task at hand," prodded Master Brynar, obviously trying to keep things on task.

Evert sat up, "Of course. Now that we know who has been stealing these artifacts I think we have two priorities, the first is to find this 'Weliss' is and arrest him, the second is to prevent him from stealing what we 'prize most' which at the very least will be a target of value." Evert looked hopefully up at the two Jedi, "Does that sound good?"

Master Brynar nodded solemnly, "It does First Secretary, we'll get right on it."

* * *

The next evening, Sascha was waiting next to Quelba, monitoring his comlink. The two were in an unmarked speeder provided to them by the Bothan Defence Corps, Quelba was in the driver's seat, Sascha was up front with him, and two Bothan Commandos sat silently in the back seats.

The Jedi and their two task forces had worked as best the could with the remaining time left. They figured that they might as well at least _try_ to identify what 'Weliss' was looking to steal, even if they lacked anything resembling a lead. He had contacted a slew of experts in Bothan history and culture and asked them what the phrase 'what Bothans prize most' could indicate. Their answers had ranged from the very broad to specific buildings like the Combined Clans Center Building, the governing centre of Bothawui. It had ended up being a long, arduous and basically useless exercise. Whatever 'Weliss' was referring to in his recording was as unclear now as it had been when he had first seen the message.

While Sascha was researching, his Master was liaising with the Bothan Defence Corps and improving security of potential targets across Bothawui. Aurine, Quelba and Selan had worked together to create a list of probable targets, and had put them into three categories. Category 'A' was likely targets, like the Combined Clans Center Building and the various museums with artifacts of high cultural significance. Category 'B' included museums that had already had artifacts stolen from them as well as other locations that were deemed to be less likely targets than Category 'A.' Category 'C' was simply the remaining locations that were deemed important enough to categorize but were seen as unlikely targets for the thief to target.

Master Brynar had visited each of the sites designated Category 'A' and had overseen the overhaul of the security of each of the buildings and for one night only, replaced the security guards with members of the Bothan Defence Corps. The Category 'B' and Category 'C' locations had been given lesser security provisions. It was a move that was likely to be noticed by some intrepid reporter, but with few beings knowing the context of why such a move was being undertaken ,it was hoped that it would be an easy story to sweep under the rug. Or if they could catch the thief tonight in the middle of his master plan, it wouldn't really matter what was reported.

Yet, despite these preparations the mood in the speeder was grim. None of them knew what to expect. Would Weliss see the security being increased and simply abandon his plan? Or did he have a way around even the advanced security they had prepared? Sascha stared at the countdown that Weliss had provided on his datapad, as he watched the numbers slowly decrease towards zero, he knew that he would be finding out soon.

"Waiting is the worst part,"muttered Quelba. The Bothan captain was decked out in light armor that he seemed uncomfortable in, a blaster pistol on his right hip, "How long on the timer?"

"Ten minutes, thirty-two seconds," Sascha replied dutifully. Nervous, he tried to clear his mind to meditate, but he couldn't even manage to do that.

This speeder was part of the active response teams that had been stationed across Bothawui, each having its own 'zone' of locations to cover. If any of the alarms in their zone were activated, the speeder could be there in ten minutes at most, they just had to hope that Weliss could be kept in one place for that long. And hope that Weliss got detected at all, something that the their had managed to avoid, so far.

Halfway across the planet, Master Brynar was probably doing the same thing her Padawan was, waiting and hoping for a break. She had specifically chosen to stay close to the Combined Clans Center Building, saying that she had a hunch that was where Weliss would make his move. Sascha could have commanded a zone of his own, but he felt comfortable with Quelba, he assumed the only thing worse than waiting was to be waiting with beings he barely knew.

"Any sense from the Force?" prodded Quelba.

His own nervousness had made getting any insight from the Force rather difficult, but he was not going to admit that to his Bothan companion. "I'm just as blind as you are, Captain Den'arv."

That response silenced the Bothan. Sascha glanced again at the timer as it continued to count down. Five minutes. It took all of his ample self-control to stop from fidgeting, just a way to use the nervous energy that has been building up over the several hours of the stakeout. He could feel in the Force that Quelba is just as nervous as he is, but the two Bothan commandos behind him seem almost bored.

The two commandos in their jet-black armor were a pair of the scariest soldiers he had ever met, they had barely spoken and their amber eyes seemed to take in and evaluating everything. He was very glad that they were on the same side.

A jolt from the Force Sascha sit up ramrod straight, "Quelba, something is happening," he says unable to keep the panic from his voice.

Quelba looked around anxiously, "Where? I don't see anything!"

There had been no change in their surroundings, but Sascha has a deep sense deep in his gut that something, somewhere, is going wrong. He searches quickly for the source of the disturbance, he can see Quelba and even the two commandos looking at him expectantly. Its north he decides, but he can't get more specific, "North, north, north, just go!"

Quelba at least knows him well enough to not question him, he simply takes the speeder from where he had parked it and hits the accelerator with little regard for any traffic laws.

As the speeder flew at breakneck speed, Sascha buckled down, concentrating on what the Force was (apparently) trying to tell him. He's trying to pin down exactly where they are supposed to go. The datapad that he had been monitoring beeps, he looks down, and as he does he begins to have a really bad feeling about all this.

"What is the alert?" asked Quelba.

"Automated alarm from Ranek Gra'lya house," Sascha replied robotically, "The guards did not respond to their last check-in."

"Ranek Gra'lya house," Quelba repeated, "That's to the north of us, yes?"

"Inputting coordinates now," he said in response.

"A class 'C' location, if I remember correctly," commented one of the commandos, the first words Sascha could remember any of the commandos saying.

Sascha nodded absentmindedly in assent. The Ranek Gray'lya house was a minor museum in the outskirts of Liah'starn, the museum was dedicated the remembrance of the life of the first Bothan to serve as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.

"Try to raise the guards," ordered Quelba as he sped around a corner.

Sascha hit the appropriate buttons on his comlink and dialed. The comlink rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Finally accepting that there was not going to be a response, he hung up. "There is no answer," he said with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Absurdly, Sascha had to remind himself that Weliss hadn't harmed anyone yet and that was hopefully not going to change. "How far away are we?" he asked Quelba.

The Bothan glanced down ever so briefly at the speeder's control panel, "Two minutes."

"Okay." Sascha said, falling silent for a long moment, then he activated his comlink again, "Master, we are responding to an alarm in our sector, send reinforcements to the Ranek Gra'lya house."

"Understood Padawan, may the Force be with you," his Master replied quickly.

Sascha, his initial shock wearing off, started to take control of the situation, "When we get to the Ranek Gra'lya there I'll go in with the two commandos. Quelba, you stay outside and coordinate with the reinforcements. Stay in communication contact with us."

Quelba didn't take his eyes of the road, but he visibly bristled at the orders he was given, "I thought I was in charge."

The Jedi shook his head, "Captain Den'arv, we have no idea what we are dealing with, I'm merely taking the most experienced combat troops with me. Trust me."

"Very well, Master Jedi. " There was no warmth in that voice, the military officer that was Quelba Den'arv did not like to be ordered around by sixteen year olds. He would have to get used to it though.

The Ranek Gra'lya house was not a very big museum. As it's name indicated, it was just a normal house, only two floors high and a few rooms in total. Because it had been defined as a class 'C' location, the security precautions were that there would be two guards throughout the night and that they would lock themselves into the control room until they were relieved in the morning.

Upon reaching the Ranek Gra'lya house, Sascha reached out with his senses in the Force, trying to sense anyone's presence within the building. He can't. His heart drops into his feet, "I can't sense anyone inside," he says to no one in particular.

He shook away that thought, leaping out of the speeder the second it comes to a halt, the BDC commandos with their blasters at the ready right behind him. Sascha raced to the front door, noticing that the door had been left slightly ajar. He put his lightsaber into his right hand and burst through the door.

The Museum was as silent as a tomb.

Using some basic hand gestures, he indicated to the two commandos at his rear that they should continue to cover him. He walked quickly, but cautiously to the security control room. As he peaked around the corner, he took a quick look at the status of the room. His jaw almost hits the floor.

The heavy door that had been in place had been wrenched free of the doorway, and it lay discarded like a piece of trash on the floor. Sascha resisted shouting some rather expressive swear words as he ignited his lightsaber and charges into the control room, very sure he is not going to like what he sees inside. He peaked inside the control room and found...

Nothing.

"Where did the guards go?" Sascha asked the empty room. He shook his head, forcing himself to stay focused, he turned to the two commandos that had silently followed him into the room, "Search the rest of the museum, don't move anything unless you have to, if the thief has left any clues behind we need to find them. Look for the guards too. I will contact Captain Den'arv." The Bothan commandos move out silently, giving no indication that they were upset at the turn of events.

As soon as they were out of the room, he kicked a wall in frustration. This sector was supposedly under his protection, but two guards were gone, kidnapped at best and at worst...

Sascha's comlink rang, "Whitestar."

"It's Quelba. What is happening?"

"Well, the two security door was ripped from its hinges, somehow. The guards are...gone. And we haven't found any sign of Weliss," he said.

"Son of a Murglak," swore Quelba. "Secure the site, I'll bring in the experts we need to determine how this happened." finished the Bothan, anger and sorrow in his voice.

As Sascha exited the control room, he took a better look at the large, durasteel door that had been ripped from its hinges. How could anyone have done this? It would have taken a pack of loader droids, or an industrial strength lifter to move such a heavy door. Was it possible that the guards hadn't noticed something like that going on? It seemed impossible. How in the galaxy was Weliss doing all these things? And what had he stolen this time?

Sascha heard the sound of the two commandos returning, their boots clanging a solid rhythm against the floor. "Master Jedi, you are going to want to see this."

"Show me," he commanded, and the two Bothans led him to a room on the second floor of the museum.

Inside the room, a hologram played a simple message on repeat. A hooded figure in a black robe appears in lifesize, "Welcome Jedi, my name is Weliss. You have come too late, I have stolen what Bothans prize most. Freedom. Now I will prove that the Jedi are incapable of protecting the Republic." Even though the hood concealed the creature's features, he could almost see an evil grin spreading across his face.


	27. Chapter 26: Aftermath

**7doom -** Oh indeed! It's fun to build a mystery (difficult, but fun)

 **thejoker122** \- A very prescient observation (like usual!)

 **LordDarthYoda-** I think you are likely right with the sort of people that would be able to pull off these kind of crimes. Who knows though, lots of twists and turns to come.

A/N - Nothing from me.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Aftermath  
**

By the time that Aurine Brynar arrived at the Ranek Gra'lya house, an odd sort of calm had broken out. A perimeter had been secured, and the best investigators on Bothawui were combing over the museum with the finest equipment money could buy. A small crowd of Bothan civilians were trying to get a better look at what was going on inside the Ranek Gra'lya house, but it appeared that they were mostly confused as to what could possibly warrant such a big scene at such a minor museum.

As she exited her speeder she saw Sascha deep in conversation with Quelba and another Bothan she didn't recognize. Her Padawan was radiating frustration in the Force, but you couldn't tell from his expression. He remained professional, focused on the task at hand, exactly how a Jedi should act – she made a note to compliment him for that when they were alone. As she walked over to him, she noticed that she was being stared at, not that being stared at was unusual for her, she was a Jedi and had a sort of uncommon beauty that some men liked, but she was being stared at _more_ than usual at the moment.

Odd.

Sascha noticed her approach and ended his conversation with Quelba, making his way over to her, "How are things?" she asked.

Sascha bit his lip for a second and some emotion played across his face, "I suppose they could be worse, but I'm not sure how. I have something that I wanted to show you, but I didn't want to broadcast on an open channel."

She frowned, "Why would you do something like that?"

"Weliss left another message, Master. This time he openly named the Jedi, and said that we were incapable of protecting the Republic."

"Can you show me the message?" she said mostly as a way to gather her thoughts than any real desire to see the message. The Jedi were being targeted? Not that it was completely uncommon, some beings just loved any chance to test themselves against Jedi, but few announced it beforehand. And how had Weliss known that a Jedi would get involved? The thought that Weliss had some sort of inside knowledge of their investigation was hardly an encouraging one.

Dutifully, Sascha played the message from Weliss on his datapad. As he had said, the hooded figure that identified himself as Weliss was openly challenging the entire Jedi Order. Aurine sighed to herself internally. All she had really wanted out of this mission was something nice and easy, something to help build Sascha's confidence after a somewhat rocky first mission, but right now she was wondering exactly what she had gotten into.

"Perhaps it might be best if we brought some more Jedi to Bothawui," Sascha suggested, "This situation is going to get worse before it gets better and now Weliss is targeting us…and its not good for morale, you saw the reactions that you got."

Aurine wasn't ready to go that far quite yet. "You may well be right Sascha, but I believe we can still handle this. Let us see how our investigation plays out. But now I want you to return to our house and rest. I'll handle the situation here."

Sascha shook his head, "Master…we don't know if that house is safe. Whoever this Weliss is, he knew that Jedi were here, and we don't know how he knew that."

"Good point, stay with me for now then." Sascha nodded respectfully and fell into the correct position for an apprentice on her right hand side and a half step behind her.

Quelba Den'arv quickly made his way over to her. "Master Jedi, we could sorely use your help."

She snapped into a professional posture, "Captain Den'arv what can you tell me about what happened here."

The Bothan's ears flattened in distress, "From what we've gathered so far, this Weliss came in alone, and opened the door…we aren't quite sure how he managed to do that, there was no trace of any explosive device being used, but the door was clearly wrenched from its proper positioning, perhaps he brought some equipment with him."

The Jedi Knight felt herself frowning, "Do you have any theories about how our thief managed to move an incredibly heavy security door?"

"Honestly Master Jedi, I have no idea. It's like something out of a science fiction novel."

"Puzzling," she said.

Quelba continued, "As has become standard for Weliss, he fried all of our surveillance equipment, so we have no idea what he did with the guards. It appears that there was some sort of struggle within the control room, but past that everyone has disappeared without a trace. There isn't even an indication of a getaway vehicle. In short, so far we have nothing. Unless there is some sort of Jedi power you have that will help us catch Weliss, we are no closer to catching him today than we were yesterday." Quelba slammed his datapad down in an act of frustration, almost fracturing the device in two.

"It's okay Captain Den'arv, there was nothing you could have done," said her Padawan.

The Bothan shrugged off the placating words, "I have to go talk to one of the techs inside, excuse me."

"Wait, Quelba," she said. "Maybe we should try out some Jedi magic."

Quelba looked skyward, "You might as well, Master Jedi. What do you need me to do?"

"Clear the museum for ten minutes. And hope that the Force is with us."

A few minutes later, she and Sascha were inside a very empty Ranek Gra'lya House. Her Padawan was acting oddly, he was looking around as if he was searching for a ghost. She reached out and nudged him, "Sascha, what's up with you?"

Sascha ignored her for a moment, ostensibly he was concentrating on something. Then his shoulder dipped and he exhaled loudly, "I don't know, Master. I just get the sense that there is something or someone familiar to me nearby. Then when I concentrate on it, it seems to disappear. I don't know if all this stress is just making me lose my sanity, or I'm actually sensing something real."

Aurine normally would have given her Padawan the benefit of the doubt, but he looked both tired and stressed out, both of which were conditions which could make a young Jedi less than reliable. "It may be easier for you to make the connection after you have a nice, relaxing, meditation session, Sascha. A sense of familiarity doesn't even make sense, as you've never been on Bothawui."

Her apprentice visibly waffled, "I guess."

Aurine sat down on the floor of the control room and indicated her apprentice should do the same, "I am going to need your help for this."

"Then you should probably explain what you want me to do," he said, as he sat.

"Just sit, and clear your mind."

Sascha snorted, "I was hoping for something a little more, uh, substantive than that."

She smiled confidently at her Padawan, "If I give you an indication of what I'm going to do, it will only distract you. Just sit there like the good Padawan you are and when I'm done I'll explain what I did."

"Yes, Master."

Aurine took a few deep, calming, breaths, picturing the air flowing down into her lungs and then exhaled through her lips. Then, she dropped into the current that was the Force. What she was doing defied traditional description. On the most basic level she was meditating. On a more profound level, what she was doing was attempting to go back in time.

No literally of course, there was no power in the galaxy that could do that, but the Force did occasionally trained users to glimpse both the future _and_ the past. She was just trying to get the Force to show her what had happened a few hours ago. Yet as much as she tried to will the Force to help her, it stayed pretty much silent, letting her just drift along with the current.

She sighed, once she had been in a similar situation with her Master, Nova Trynith. They were trying to hunt down an outlaw that had been terrorizing a small village in some backwater Outer Rim planet. For the life of her she couldn't even recall the planet's name. She remembered her and her Master visiting a house where the outlaw had broken into a few days previous. Nova had simply led a meditation from inside the house and a few moments later, Nova had simply seemed to 'know' where to find the bandit.

But apparently, things did not happen as easily for her as they had for her Master. It shouldn't have surprised her, there was a reason that Nova was a Jedi Master and she would very likely never ascend to that rank. But all she had wanted was a simple clue that would allow her to find, if not Weliss, but the two Bothan guards that had disappeared.

Aurine could feel Sascha's growing impatience, and combined with her own frustration at herself, she sensed that this meditation wasn't going to provide her with the answers she had been looking for. She ended her meditation, feeling slightly lightheaded as she returned to full control over herself.

Sascha cocked his head inquisitively at her, "What did you do? Any success?"

She shook her head in the negative and re-tied her ponytail, "I was trying to look into the past. Not successful."

Sascha's eyes registered disappointment, "And what was I here for? Moral support?"

She smiled wanly, "Always that. But needed an anchor," she explained simply, "Something that would ground me in the present. When you go looking for the past, it's easy to lose yourself for a bit longer than a few minutes."

"And I'm an anchor for you?" he said, disbelieving.

"Of course. You are my Padawan. What else could connect me more to the present than my obligation to my apprentice?"

Sascha blinked a few times, processing her statement, "I think that was supposed to be a compliment."

She smiled and threw and arm around her apprentice, "It was. Now we have to go tell Captain Den'arv that our Jedi magic didn't prove to be all that useful."

Sascha politely extracted himself from her embrace, "I think we are in trouble here, Master. We just got called out by Weliss. What are we going to do about that?"

"We are going to turn the other cheek, Padawan. If he is trying to play on our emotions, we are going to show him that we are immune to such things. We will stay focused on our task, which has now expanded to finding where those two guards went."

Her Padawan glanced at the floor for a second, "I don't think finding Weliss will be easy. It feels like more beings will get hurt before we'll manage to bring him in."

Aurine faced her apprentice directly, "But we will find him, and bring him to justice. I promise you that, Padawan."

"Okay, let's do it Master. What's our next move?"

"I have no idea," she said honestly.

For what felt like the hundredth time over the last few days, Aurine and her Padawan were in the office of Evert Den'arv. The First Secretary of Bothawui was obviously under tremendous pressure, and it showed. The press and opposing politicians, having noticed what had occurred last night, had asked the First Secretary for comment, which he clearly could not give without jeopardizing the investigation, such as it was. To Aurine, it seemed like the First Secretary, who was not a young being to begin with, had aged five years in just the few days Aurine had known him. She felt for him, but if he had asked the Jedi for help earlier perhaps they could have made a difference, right now they were playing from behind, and desperately trying to keep up. At least this time she had some good news to deliver. It was going to be swept over in the tide of bad news…but it was at the very least a glimmer of hope.

Sitting in his massive chair behind his equally impressively large desk, the Bothan seemed dwarfed by his furniture, as if crushed by the weight he was carrying. "Jedi Brynar, Padawan Whitestar, it's good to see you," he said in a flat tone, "Do you have an update for me?"

"The situation remains the same as this morning, again this 'Weliss' has seemingly been able to break in to a secure location, though this time instead of stealing an object he absconded with two security guards." She paused for a respectful moment, "The only good news I can offer is that this morning I contacted Jedi Master Knol Ven'nari and she is on her way to Bothawui to assist us. I would recommend against making it known to the press, not because it needs to remain secret, but because she does not play well with the press. A Bothan legend she may be, but she despises playing the political games that so often occur on Bothawui."

Evert's expression became a little more hopeful, "When will Master Ven'nari arrive?"

Aurine grimaced, "Well she has been operating in the Outer Rim so…she estimated about four or five days."

The hope in Evert's face bled away at that pronouncement, "I had hoped that perhaps she might arrive sooner, perhaps you could ask a Jedi from a nearby system for help?"

Aurine put a little steel in her voice, "This is not an official mission from the Jedi Council, First Secretary, I cannot simply appeal for help for a mission that very few Jedi know that I am on. I will send an update to the Temple today, but I can make no promises that other Jedi will come. We must deal with the resources that we have."

This was obviously not the answer that the First Secretary wanted to hear, "Yes, the task forces that my clan members are heading up have had some success, we must keep our faith in them."

Aurine did not need the Force to feel the lack of conviction behind those words. This was not going well. She had hoped that perhaps Evert might find some sort of conviction from deep inside of him, but instead her only ally seemed to have resigned himself to a heavy defeat and the end of his political career. She would find whoever was perpetrating these crimes…eventually, and if this Weliss wanted to challenge the Jedi, she was more than willing to oblige him, she would show him why it was foolish to openly challenge the Jedi Order. But to do that she needed support from the people of Bothawui.

"If there is anything else, First Secretary, my Padawan and I should rest and then return to overseeing the investigation." This was a complete waste of time, she didn't say, but wanted to. Both she and Sascha were tired, having worked throughout the night and into the morning, but before they could rest they had been summoned to this meeting.

The First Secretary was about to dismiss them when an aide burst into the room, "First Secretary, you have a call…it's from someone called 'Weliss,' he said you'd want to take it."

Evert's eyes widened, "Yes, yes, yes we'll take it in here, thank you." The aide nodded and left, obviously not sure why his boss had suddenly become so animated.

The black cloaked form that Weliss has chosen to reveal, appears in full holo apove the Evert Den'arv's desk. The First Secretary composed himself and spoke with authority, "I am First Secretary Den'arv…"

"Silence!" said Weliss, "I will not waste my breath on useless politicians such as yourself. I want to speak to the two Jedi that are with you."

Sascha looked up at her expectantly, but Evert beat her to the punch, "The Jedi are not here, brigand. They are out searching for you, even I do not know where they are at the moment."

Bravo, First Secretary, keep him on the call while the techs try to track him down…now if you could get some useful information out of him…

Weliss was not interested in playing around, "I know the Jedi are with you right now First Secretary, if you do not put them on, or the Jedi are too cowardly to talk to me, then I must make another statement like the one I made last night."

Evert looked over at the two Jedi, appealing for help.

Aurine decided that now was the time to introduce herself. She stepped into the range of the holo confidently, Sascha by her side, "That will not be necessary, I am Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar. What do you want from us?"

The cloaked figure stared back at her in amusement, "Ah, a young Jedi Knight and her Padawan, such a lovely picture. The Master and her slave." Sascha tensed beside her but is disciplined enough to say nothing. A good Padawan.

Weliss continued, "Does it upset you to know that I made hostages out of those two guards last night, even when you had increased security across the planet?"

Aurine was upset but she had no intention of showing that to her adversary, "If you quarrel is with the Jedi, Weliss, why not confront us directly? You obviously have no trouble in tracking us."

The holographic figure almost seems to smirk, even without facial features, "Oh, I'm not afraid, Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar. In fact, I want to meet you. Tonight. Be at the Trav'starn Museum of Natural History at 1800 hours, or I will make Bothawui suffer."

Out of the range of the holo, the First Secretary winced at the threat, but the Jedi Knight was unmoved, "I will be there, 'Weliss' and there I will take you into custody where you can be tried for your crimes."

The laughter of Weliss seems to echo across the room, "You are a bold one, Jedi Knight, I'll admit that much. Very well, I will see you tonight. Come alone, leave your little slave behind, I would hate to have to harm a child." With his pronouncement made, the holographic form winked out.

"It's a trap, Master," says Sascha, still smarting a bit upset from being called a slave and a child.

"Of course it's a trap, Padawan, but it's a trap that we can't afford to ignore."

Sascha nodded, "I'll pick out a squad of the best commandos on Bothawui, and prep them for tonight."

She shook her head, "You will do nothing of the sort, Sascha. I gave him my word as a Jedi that I would come alone and I will."

Sascha stared open-mouthed at her for a long moment, before realizing that they were not alone and he dropped his tone to a whisper, "Master, giving your word or not, you admit you are walking into a trap, he knows you are a Jedi Knight, let me bring along a squad and have them at the ready."

Aurine bored her eyes deep into her Padawan's reminding him not so subtly that it was not his place to contradict her in public. Sascha held her gaze for a defiant second, before looking down. She turned to face Evert, "I will be going alone."

"Are you sure, Master Jedi…the Padawan's plan seems to have more merit," said Evert nervously, "A backup plan might be worth having. Certainly I would feel terrible if anything were to happen to you."

Aurine almost rolled her eyes, everyone was being far too dramatic in her opinion. Weliss was a thief, a skilled thief certainly, but gave no indication he was more than a brigand capable of overwhelming security guards. She was a Jedi Knight and no matter what trap he thought he had prepared, she was confident of defeating it. "I have made up my mind," she said confidently, "This will all be over by tonight."


	28. Chapter 27: Confrontation

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** You know that you don't need to comment on every chapter (I appreciate it, but its not a requisite.) You had a lot of good thoughts in that paragraph and many of them are correct (but perhaps not in the way that you think they are).

A/N - Sorry that these chapters are a bit shorter than usual. Hopefully the fact that the plot is moving forward makes up for it a little.

Anyways, please enjoy this next chapter! As ever, any feedback is appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Confrontation**

Aurine Brynar waited patiently for the appointed hour for when she would enter the Trav'starn Museum of Natural History and finally put an end to this bizarre and dangerous situation. She waited alone in a small restaurant just south of the museum, one that gave her a good vantage point for overseeing the front entrance, just in case any shenanigans were going to happen. Sipping on a cup of caf, she seemed just like a normal patron stopping for a drink before heading home for the evening. She didn't even feel that nervous, in fact, she felt completely calm, this was what she liked, no searching for clues or researching facts just a simple task – show up, arrest the bad guy and leave.

She was becoming amused by the lengths that her Padawan was going to keep her safe though. First, there was the perfectly unobtrusive Bothan that was keeping tabs on her, the tan furred Bothan was doing a fantastic job of keeping up what appeared to be an animated conversation with a friend, all the while surreptitiously glancing over in her direction. Aurine would have expected nothing less top fieldcraft from one of the spies from the famed Bothan spynet, but trying to monitor her without her knowing was a fairly impossible task. After all, she was a Jedi Knight, and she was used to people trying to keep tabs on her.

Secondly, Sascha had also clearly instructed Quelba to assemble a team Bothan commandos to be in the area. The Force auras of a dozen commandos stood out from the milieu of the area like a sore thumb and she assumed that if things seemed to be going badly for her inside the museum, the soldiers would be called upon to assist her. She'd known the second that she said that she did not want a squad of soldiers as backup that Sascha would do it anyway, he was a tenacious Padawan, but he was so very predictable at times.

Aurine didn't mind though, if Sascha wanted to take these largely unnecessary precautions he was welcome to do so. He was a good Padawan, she'd want no other to be her apprentice, but sometimes he forgot that she was the Master and he merely the apprentice. Sascha was smart but he thought his solutions were superior simply because _he_ thought of them. He would learn that he was not infallible. She had been outside of the Temple more times than she could count; this was only his second mission, there was a massive gap in experience between the pair. She was also trying to fight his somewhat petulant nature, he assumed that he had to be involved in everything that she did, but she knew that he still needed some protecting. He was eager like any Padawan his age, but the desire to help could sometimes backfire.

That was why she'd commanded him to stay far away for tonight. He'd been upset and understandably so, but she didn't want the distraction of him potentially interfering. She'd given her word as a Jedi that she would confront Weliss alone and she didn't want to spook the thief or antagonize him in any way by breaking her promise. What she had done had hurt Sascha, hurt his pride most of all, but she would make it up to him just as soon as Weliss was safely in police custody.

Enough daydreaming, she commanded herself, checking her chrono. It was time to arrest a thief.

* * *

Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar kicked a pebble as he walked down the street, clad in his anonymous brown travellers' cloak. It was a petulant act, one born of frustration. It was, he knew, an act that was unworthy of a Jedi, even an apprentice like himself but he couldn't help it. His Master was half a world away preparing to capture Weliss and he was on another continent all together, not even allowed to be nearby if something went wrong.

It was so...manifestly unfair to be treated like this, he thought, after all, he was the one who had discovered the first clue! And for his reward, he was being left on the sidelines while his Master potentially put herself in danger. Master Brynar had tried to placate him by saying that he was only being told to stay behind because a Jedi always kept their promises, and she had promised Weliss that she would come alone. Furthermore, she had promised him that they could stay on Bothawui for a while and work on his training. That was all well and good, but he didn't care about when or where he was being trained, right now he just wanted to be a ten minute speeder ride away from his Master. Yet all he wanted was to be a ten minute speeder ride away, but even that had been denied to him. Had Aurine forgotten what had happened the last time that she had made him stay behind?

Sascha stopped and shook that thought out of his head. Why did he always come back to that moment? It wasn't like his Master was some sort of child. She had managed to live her life pretty darn well before he had met her. Why did he think that he _had_ to be there to prevent some sort of harm from coming to her?

"It's because I'm young and stupid, I guess," he said quietly to himself.

He had at least been allowed to prowl the streets of Navshe'starn alone and he was searching for a situation he could get involved in and take out some frustration on. A barfight where he could sort out some combatants, a pickpocket that he could arrest, anything where he could prove to himself and his Master that he was not just tagging along while the more experienced Jedi Knight did all the work. Quelba had, with Sascha delivering a none-to-subtle hint, assembled a squad of elite commandos that were awaiting the word to be sent to the Trav'starn Museum of Natural History, so he had at least been able to assuage his conscience that way, but he was still extremely frustrated by the whole situation.

Sascha clenched his hands into fists and tried to push away the feeling of frustration. It was a useless emotion that could bring him nothing but trouble, but still the feeling lingered. Sighing, and realizing how much he had still to grow as both a person and a Jedi, he moved in the late afternoon sun of Navshe'starn. Like all the other parts of Bothawui he had managed to see on this mission, he had taken a liking to the smaller city. Navshe'starn was a kind of cultural hub, attracting young artists from Bothawui and surrounding sectors, Sascha liked it because it felt alive, it buzzed with the hopes of creative beings, who wanted nothing more than to display their talents. On a different day, Sascha would have contented himself going through some of the art galleries in the area admiring the creations of a hundred different species, but tonight he was not in the mood. Tonight, he wasn't in the mood for much besides quiet reflection.

It was frustrating being a Padawan, Sascha was finding. Theoretically, he was an almost fully trained Jedi, but as a Padawan he was still beholden to the whims of the Jedi Knight he was apprenticed to. It was not a relationship of equals, in some ways Weliss had been correct in calling him a slave. He didn't resent Master Brynar, in fact he liked her quite a bit, she was a good Master, open with her knowledge and was receptive to many of his ideas, but when push came to shove, her ideas were the ones that always seemed to take precedence. He knew from experience how hard it was to talk Master Brynar down from doing something when she set her mind to it, no matter how eloquent his counterarguments were. He couldn't do it in the Temple when she was pushing herself too hard in her recovery and he couldn't do it here either. Perhaps when he had a few years of experience in working with her, he'd figure out how to appeal to her better, but for now, she did what she wanted and Sascha just kind of tagged along. It was not exactly how he'd dreamed his apprenticeship would go when he was younger.

His self-pitying reverie was interrupted by the insistent beep of his comlink. Maybe Master Brynar had reconsidered at the last moment. "Whitestar here," he said into the comlink somewhat unnecessarily,

"Crem here," said the jovial Bothan, clearly mocking the young Padawan.

Sascha rolled his eyes but smiled as he did it, "What can I do for you, Lieutenant Irys'lon?"

"We had an automated signal from one of the nearby museums, apparently there has been some sort of break in. I have the full feed from all the cameras inside so normally I wouldn't bother you…but I can't see anyone on the monitor. Now it's probably just an Ak just trying to set up a nest for mating season, those things drive our sensors crazy, but I can't see it either. I know you are in the area, I was wondering if you'd check it out for me, I figure its better than calling in the police."

"Uh, Crem, what's an Ak?" he asked, somewhat embarrassed by his lack of knowledge of the planet's wildlife.

"Small bird of prey, they mostly feed on the smaller mammals in the grasslands, but they sometimes come into the city, especially during mating season. Don't worry they are harmless, just annoying."

Sascha considered for a moment, "Sure, beats wandering around the city waiting for something to happen, can you send me directions to my datapad?"

"Sure thing, boss. I'll monitor you on the security cams, everyone else is watching your Master, I figure I might as well watch out for you. May the Force be with you…or whatever it is you Jedi say."

Sascha rolled his eyes again and signed off, taking his datapad off one of his belt pockets and checking the directions that Crem had just sent to him. He estimated it would be a five minute walk to the Navshe'starn Museum of Bothan Art but he wanted to arrive as fast as possible without attracting attention so he lightly jogged in the direction of the museum.

The Navshe'starn Museum of Bothan Art was a non-descript, beige, two-story building that was only recognizable as an art museum because of the sign out front. I always get the good assignments, he sighed to himself as he eyed the front entrance. How am I supposed to get in? I can't break in without setting off even more alarms, and I don't want to spook whoever is inside in case it is the unluckiest art thief in history. He waved hopefully at the security camera outside and he heard the front door unlock.

"You may enter Padawan Whitestar," said Crem's distinctive voice from a concealed speaker. Sascha shook his head, threw Crem a mock salute, and entered the museum, pausing to admire the impressive artwork in the hallway. In the foyer he paused to take stock of his surroundings, opening himself up to the Force and searching for any presences concealed within the Museum, he thought that he sensed one being inside, but whenever he tried to get a better fix on his or her location it shifted, almost fading from his sense. Sascha frowned, that wasn't supposed to happen.

He flicked on his comlink, "Crem I can't get a sense if there is anyone inside, it's like there is somewhere here but they are hiding from me. Really weird. Could you get the Navshe'starn police to send a couple of police officers over? I'm not really sure what I'm getting into here."

"Copy that boss," said Crem, turning professional, "Do you want them to just wait outside when they get there?"

"Sounds like a good idea," he agreed, "I'm going to go exploring, keep monitoring me on the security cams, they are all still active, correct?"

"Yup, recording at one hundred percent efficiency. Still can't see anyone else inside. I've got five creds that says that it's just a pair of Ak's doing a mating ritual."

"I'll take that bet. I always wanted five creds."

Crem paused, "You don't even have five creds to your name, do you?"

"Not really, no."

"Oh well. A bet is a bet," said Crem jovially. "If you don't pay, I'll just hire a debt recovery company, I'm sure they'll have no trouble in wringing the credits from you."

Sasha snorted and deactivated his comlink. He kept alert as he entered the small museum. Once he was inside, he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and kept it in his right hand, still using the Force to see if he could detect elusive presence within.

With that being unsuccessful, he tried a more direct approach, "This is Jedi Padawan Sascha Whitestar. Come out with your hands up and you will not be harmed," he said into the Museum, using the Force to project his voice into the deepest depths of the building. The presence that he was tracking seemed to quiver in fear at his pronouncement, confirming his suspicion that he has found the galaxies unluckiest thief, trying to break in to a Museum as it was being monitored by the Bothan Defence Corps and that happened to be able to contact a nearby Jedi. Tough luck, but that's what you get for breaking the law, the Padawan thought confidently.

He hefted his lightsaber experimentally, if he is going to apprehend a criminal, he wants his lightsaber at the ready just in case the thief wants to try and fire a weapon instead of surrendering peacefully. Besides, there were few things in the galaxy than being confronted by a Jedi wielding a lightsaber. The weapon's comforting weight in his hand, he entered the main atrium of the museum, which was a large-high ceilinged room with several little platforms with display cases adorning the room. He's pretty sure that the thief that he is about to catch is in this room, though even when he probes into the Force again, he still can't sense him or her in the atrium.

Which is odd and it brought him up short. He was sure that he tracked the thief to this room now the thief is gone? What in the name of the Force is happening here?

A trickle of fear entered the Padawan's mind, perhaps he has bitten off slightly more than he can chew? For a brief moment he evaluates retracing his steps and going back to entrance. There he could regroup with the police officers that he requested that were surely just a minute or two away.

"Where is your damn confidence, Sascha?" he whispers to himself. "It's just one person, at most. And you are a Jedi."

Feeling a bit absurd, he moves slowly into the room. His Force sense seemingly having failed him he tries to use his five 'normal' senses to find the intruder, his eyes rake across the room as he walks deeper into the room. The various pillars and stanchions that house the art of the gallery give the thief plenty of potential hiding spaces and he methodically sweeps them one at a time.

As he got to the end of the room he began to get more cautious. The thief had to be in one of these few remaining hiding spots. When he got to the end of the room, he checked the last spot behind a large painting of an ancient military victory and there is…nothing there. Sascha releases a long breath. This was just totally bizzare. There had to be someone here!

The Padawan decided that he has lost his mind. He starts purposely back out of the atrium deciding that he's going to bring the police officers into the search. He places his lightsaber back on his belt and is almost to the doorway when the lights go out.

Sascha startled. By the time he saw his attacker coming at him from above, it was too late to react.


	29. Chapter 28: Reaction

**if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** I'm glad you enjoy reviewing the chapters, it is always great to get feeback. Follows and Favourites are great, but they are just numbers, whereas when you write something it is something I can interact with. So please do keep reviewing! Sascha is certainly five creds richer (spend them wisely!). Sascha certainly has gotten himself into a spot of trouble. How much trouble is he in...well we'll see this chapter.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- For perspective on Sascha's age - I'm actually older than Aurine and Aurine is ~10 years older than Sascha. So it's certainly fun to break out the 'oh yeah, I remember being sixteen, I was an idiot' self-reflection. And I think it's important because Sascha is generally wise and mature beyond his years. But he isn't immune to the 'woe is me, I'm a teenager' disease. Some of your guesses are extraordinarily good, as usual. As for wanting to see Aurine kick butt - I think we are of the same mind, one of my internal nicknames for Aurine is 'Tiger Mom.' I certainly don't think she's the type of person that you want to antagonize. And I think taking her Padawan is bound to very much antagonize her (to say the least).

 **ColdOnePaul -** Someone is going to certainly claim credit for it! Thanks for the review!

A/N - Back to our regular chapter length for this one. I also managed to delete an entire chapter as it became superfluous after I condensed the plot. Felt really satisfying to hit that delete button, as I felt the chapter in question was mostly 'dead air.' Now you don't have to read it! And we get to the better chapters more quickly! Huzzah!

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Reaction**

As Aurine Brynar entered the Trav'starn Museum of Natural History at precisely the appointed hour, she half expected her danger sense to flare immediately. The fact that it didn't made her instantly wary. It seemed obvious that Weliss would try to use some sort of trap to ensnare her, but as she walked deeper into the museum, the fact that she was walking around the museum without any premonitions of danger from the Force made her wonder if she had misjudged the thief. It also bothered her to note that when she extended her senses in the Force, she could not find another being in the museum. Weliss' appointed hour had come and gone without the thief appearing, which was something of a surprise to her, but was perhaps it was just a tactic. After all you don't surprise a Jedi Knight by telling her when and where you were going to appear, so she expected him to perhaps arrive fashionably late. Or not at all.

Fashionably late soon turned into good old fashioned late. As she combed the large museum and its floors of artifacts and displays she was beginning to think that Weliss might have lost heart despite his arrogant words earlier. Typical. She was not looking forward to spending more hours with the conceited Selan and her Bothan Intelligence task force that was clearly more interested in scoring political points and sniping at each other than actually finding the perpetrator of the thefts. It was no wonder that Sascha, Quelba, and his team had more success. Unlike Selan, Quelba seemed to be actually offended that anyone would dare steal these artifacts from Bothawui and had made it his person mission to hunt the culprits down. Quelba obviously didn't love the games that politics brought, and was primarily concerned with doing his job well.

Suddenly, she felt a flare of alarm from Sascha in the Force and instinctively she ignited her lightsaber in the empty room. Your Padawan is half a world away, she reminded herself as she turned her lightsaber off. She found herself a defensible position up against a nearby wall before opening herself up to the Force, intending to question her Padawan why he was alarmed. But, when she reached into the Force for him, he wasn't there.

An icy fist seemed to grab her heart, she had formed an almost instant connection with her Padawan and contacting him through the Force, even across half a world should not have been a problem, that she had failed to connect with him meant that something had terrible had happened to him. He wasn't dead, she would have felt that for sure, but going from alarmed to silent was not his typical behaviour to say the least.

When she realized what had likely happened, Aurine let out an explosive string of curses that were not fit for a Jedi Knight, or a gutter rat for that matter. She sprang down a flight of stairs intent on rushing to her Padawan as fast as possible. She decided that she was a complete and total idiot. Obviously Weliss merely wanted to divide her and Sascha and then attack the weaker Jedi, hoping to catch him by surprise, and apparently, he had been successful.

Some tactical genius you are Aurine Brynar, she raged at herself, if only she had let him stay with that squad of commandos that he wanted, he would have been surrounded by some of the finest troops on Bothawui. Instead, she had insisted that he be far away from her, lest he be inclined to come running to her rescue. All these decisions had clearly been disastrous; the only thing to do now was to see if she could find out what happened to him.

As she exited the museum in some haste, her comlink rang. She didn't bother to check the number, she just answered, "If your name isn't Jedi Master Yoda, I'm hanging up."

A dry chuckle answered her, "Would it suffice if I talked like him? Okay. A message for you, I have. Have your Padawan, I do."

Aurine's eyes widened and she skidded to a stop, "Weliss? How did you get my comlink number..."

Weliss chuckled again, "Yes I suppose that _is_ the most important thing to discuss. Certainly not the state of your Padawan. He's fine by the way. A little unconscious, maybe a minor concussion, but you know...still alive."

Aurine was not exactly relieved to hear that. A further, perhaps more important question was how Weliss managed to defeat her Padawan. While Sascha wasn't a master of combat, he was still a trained Jedi, and Jedi never went down easy. "I want my Padawan back. What do you want from me?"

"Oh, I don't know yet," Weliss said casually, "This is a social call, a courtesy call. After all it would be downright _rude_ if I took something from you and didn't say something. That's not a courtesy a Jedi like you would understand. You Jedi just take."

"If you have a grievance against the Jedi, then take it up with me. My apprentice is innocent," she said, a note of desperation coming into her voice.

"Oh don't worry, I don't actually want to harm your slave, er, apprentice. I don't go out of my way to harm people, you see."

Aurine blinked, what was even happening in this conversation? "There is no way this ends well for you, Weliss. I can place one call and have Bothawui be swarming with Jedi Knights. We take the kidnapping of one of our own very seriously."

"Ah, good point," said Weliss. "How about this then – if you contact the Jedi Temple, I'll kill your apprentice."

"You have no way of knowing if I contacted the Temple," she retorted.

Weliss snorted, "You haven't been paying much attention have you? I didn't think they let dullards become Jedi Knights. Guess I was wrong. I'll know if you contact the Jedi Temple. Trust me on that. You don't want to take that risk."

Aurine clutched at her comlink, feeling her hands become clammy, "What do you even want Weliss?"

"Revenge."

The comlink went dead.

Aurine was halfway through throwing the comlink to the ground and smashing it into a thousand tiny pieces, when she realized that she would need to use that comlink right now. She started prioritizing what needed to be done. The first thing she needed to was to contact Quelba and Selan and tell them that things had gone horribly awry. The next thing she needed to do was to find a way to contact the Jedi Temple, without Weliss knowing.

And the last thing she needed to do was get her Padawan back.

Even if it was the last thing she ever did.

Clenching her comlink in her right hand, she dialed for Quelba, deciding that she'd rather talk to him than then Selan. The Bothan answered quickly, "Do you have Weliss in custody?"

She grimaced, "Not quite. He's taken Sascha hostage."

"What!"

"Could you kindly figure out _how that happened?_ " she said through gritted teeth.

"Of course, Master Jedi. I'll do so immediately."

"Call me when you have an answer. And send someone to pick me up from the Museum."

"Copy."

Aurine clicked her comlink off and racked her brain for any idea how to complete her second task, which was to inform the Jedi Temple of what had happened in this mission, without sending a transmission to the Temple itself. While she wasn't entirely sure that she believed that Weliss had a way to detect if she sent a transmission to the Temple, she was damn sure not going to take that risk, with Sascha's life potentially on the line.

"Think Brynar, think," she commanded himself.

While there was a small part of her that told her that she didn't necessarily need to report what had happened to the Jedi Temple, every other part of her brain told her that this situation was becoming bigger than just her. The question was how she could do that. She didn't exactly have any non-Jedi friends on Coruscant that she could ask to relay a message.

But Sascha did...

As Sascha's Master she had access to all of the files that he kept on his datapad and comlink. Generally speaking, she didn't bother using that access. She had no desire to spy on her apprentice and no need to do so. The one exception she had made was that she had read the conversations that Sascha shared with Ezah, the young Twi'lek singer. It had made her feel like a bit of a voyeur, and she really didn't _care_ what was happening between them, she just wanted to know what, if anything was happening. She hadn't have needed to worry. While Ezah flirted with Sascha in her messages at first, it was clear that Sascha had no interest in the Twi'lek. She had read bits and pieces of their conversation, became bored quickly and stopped reading. It was just two teenagers from wildly different backgrounds chatting back and forth.

But that meant that she had Ezah's comlink frequency...

Aurine had no idea what time it was on Coruscant, but she hit a few buttons on her comlink, which would allow her to dial from Sascha's number and not hers, and then dialed.

A female voice answered after a few rings, "Hey Sascha. What's up? Calling me long distance, I see."

"This isn't Sascha, this is Sascha's Master, Aurine Brynar."

Aurine could hear the young Twi'lek's surprise, "Um...what?"

The Jedi Knight spoke in a clear, emphatic tone, "I need you to do something very important for me, something important for me and Sascha."

"I'm not sure what I could possibly do..." said Ezah.

She cut the Twi'lek off, "Ezah, I need you to go to the Jedi Temple and deliver a message for me."

"Excuse me, WHAT! I can't exactly waltz into the Jedi Temple, I'm pretty sure someone will know I'm not a Jedi. Listen, Master Jedi, I'm sure you can find someone else to do this, I have to be on stage in like two hours and I need to do my vocal warm-up."

"Ezah. Sascha has been taken hostage," she said quietly. Saying it out loud made that thought actually sink in. She had let her apprentice, a young man she had sworn to raise to the rank of Jedi Knight, be captured and taken hostage by Weliss. Unbidden, a memory returned to her. Tyra Harker, telling her to take good care of 'her' Sascha. She remembered that she had pledged that she would see him become a Jedi Knight. And now, here she was, Sascha was gone and she had no idea where he was. A thousand different swear words came to mind. None of them seemed to have the appropriate gravitas.

"I'll do whatever you need," said Ezah, gently startling Aurine out of her reverie.

"Okay. I need you to go to the Jedi Temple, there is a place where the civilian workers enter the Temple. Once you get there, they'll ask for your passcard, you obviously don't have one. Talk to one of the Temple Guards, they'll be the masked Jedi overseeing the whole thing. Tell them that you have a message from Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar. Tell them the code is 'Aurek-Bantha-Hydro-Delta-Opera-Sarlacc-one-nine- nine-nine.' Write it down if you have to. Are you recording this message?"

"I think I record messages by default," said Ezah.

"Make sure. You can give them this recording too."

"Okay. So, I give them this code and then what?"

"Tell them you need to speak to Coleman Trebor. If he is not there, speak to Luminara Unduli. If she isn't around ask for Obi-Wan Kenobi. If none of them are there just speak to any Jedi that will listen to you."

"All right," said Ezah, "What then? Tell them Sascha has been taken hostage? Where planet are you on?"

"The Jedi you speak to will know where we are," she reassured Ezah. "Tell them that Sascha has captured by the person involved with the thefts on the planet. Tell them that the thief is specifically targeting the Jedi Order, and appears to be attempting to settle some sort of grudge. Tell them that I am requesting assistance."

A couple of beats passed, "Got it. Anything else?" inquired Ezah.

"Yes, the most important part." Aurine took a deep breath, "Tell them that the Temple's communications may have been compromised. Tell them that the Temple is not in any way to send me a message. I don't even want them to route a message back to me through you. This is the first and last message I'm sending to them. Assume that my communications are being monitored."

"I suppose this is too late to ask if this is an elaborate prank," said Ezah.

"I'm deadly serious, Ms. Resel."

The Twi'lek sighed, "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Aurine rubbed her temple with her free hand, "Look, I know this came out of the blue and its probably at an inconvenient time for you..."

This time Ezah cut her off, "You don't have to sell me, Master Jedi. My friend is in trouble and I can help. So I will. Even if it scares the heck out of me to go marching into the Jedi Temple, a place I don't belong. Sascha is a good person, and we need to keep as many good people alive in the galaxy as we can."

There were almost tears in Aurine's eyes, "Thank you, Ms. Resel."

"Don't worry about it," said Ezah. "Besides, I'm going to make my understudy _really_ happy." The Twi'lek paused, "Just have Sascha message me, whenever all this is done, okay?"

"I will," she promised. "May the Force be with you, Ezah Resel."

"May the Force be with you, Aurine Brynar. Don't worry, I'll deliver your message. Whatever it takes." The Twi'lek signed off.

Aurine took a short second to admire the loyalty that her Padawan had inspired in a young woman that he'd only met once. And to think that she had only pushed for Sascha and Ezah to be together as a test for her Padawan. Maybe the Force worked in mysterious ways.

A speeder came rushing up, stopping at the foot of the stairs to the museum's front entrance, "Get in," said the familiar voice of Selan.

Aurine entered the speeder, "We need to go to…"

"I know," the female Bothan replied as she kicked the speeder into high gear, "Captain Den'arv contacted me, we have a shuttle waiting at the local spaceport to take us to Navshe'starn."

"Thanks, Selan."

"Not a problem, Master Jedi."

"Did Quelba tell you what happened?" she asked.

The Bothan shook her head, "No, he just said to pick you up here and get you to Navshe'starn as fast as possible."

Selan activated the speeder's siren and buzzed through the mostly comatose streets of Trav'starn at blistering speed.

What kind of speeder has a siren, wondered Aurine. Oh. "Where did you get a police speeder Selan?"

The Bothan flashed a feral grin, "I appropriated it from someone who needed it less."

Aurine activated her comlink and dialed Quelba Den'arv, and the Bothan Captain answered immediately, "Tell that you've figured something out," she said tersely.

"Here is what I know so far. Lieutenant Irys'lon detected a break-in at the Navshe'starn Museum of Bothan Art but could not see anyone on the security cams, Sascha was nearby he was sent him to check it out. We didn't think it would be anything more than an Ak disrupting the security sensors…and we wanted to give him something to do. We apologize if this was overstepping our authority regarding your Padawan. We only did as we thought best," said the subdued voice of Quelba.

Aurine bit her lip hard enough to almost draw blood, "We can save the recriminations for later, just tell me what happened to my Padawan!"

A momentary pause was enough to cause the icy hand that held her heart to squeeze even tighter. The tense voice of Quelba came back across the comlink "We have the recording from the museum's security feed, but it seems to have been damaged in some way…perhaps its easier to just show you."

Not understanding what possible reasons that the Bothan Captain could have for showing what happened to Sascha rather than tell her, she almost shouted at Quelba to just spill the whole story, instead she just pulled her datapad from her belt and played the video that had just been sent to her.

The video showed Sascha, clearly frustrated at something, walking out of a large atrium, when the lights went out and a black cloaked figure attacked him from above, almost taking the Padawan's head off with a powerful kick. Aurine frowned, that wasn't right, Sascha was hardly the type of Jedi to get caught unaware, he was cautious and not much of a risk taker, perhaps he was preoccupied, but still getting ambushed by a lone attacker didn't sit right with her.

Despite taking a punishing blow right on the jaw that would have felled most beings, Sascha used the momentum to spin himself around and in one smooth motion bring out his lightsaber and ignite it, dropping into a basic combat stance. His teal lightsaber and the emergency lighting of the room gave the room a dark ambience that cast shadows all over the Jedi and the hooded figure that was almost certainly Weliss. Sascha stepped cautiously towards the hooded figure when a large ornamental vase was lifted from behind the Padawan, and instead of sending it towards the intruder like Aurine thought would happen, it went hurtling _towards_ Sascha, catching him unaware and breaking into a hundred pieces when it collided with the back of his head. Her Padawan dropped to his knees, lightsaber skittering away from him, still ignited.

Aurine blinked. Sascha couldn't have possibly hit himself with the vase. So that meant...

Oh Force.

The video continued on, showing Sascha woozily rising to his feet and attempting to recall his lightsaber to his hand. A second after the hilt smacked into his palm, it seemed like an invisible gust of wind pushed the Padawan and he flew backwards into a large pillar. He impacted with the pillar spine first and unable to stop his momentum; his head also collided with the pillar with sickening force. After the collision, he laid still, eyes closed in a little heap. As the video progressed, the black cloaked figure collected and disengaged Sascha's lightsaber and stood over him, as if contemplating what to do next. Then the figured turned to the camera, raised an arm and suddenly the video ended.

Aurine Brynar lost her equilibrium for a second, and if she hadn't been secured in the speeder, she probably would have fallen to her knees.

Oblivious to the stunned reaction from the Jedi Knight, Quelba prattled on, "As you can see the security equipment clearly had been tampered with, as there was obviously several more beings in the room, which would explain Sascha's erratic movements," said Quelba in a defeated tone of voice. "I'll get Iraek on it immediately, I want to know what was done to the security system."

Aurine knew that there was nothing wrong with the camera, Sascha had been attacked by a Force user, and the skill and ease to which he had been overwhelmed suggested one culprit more than any other. The Sith. With all the Jedi swarming the galaxy, perhaps they had finally stumbled upon the elusive 'second Sith.' It didn't have to necessarily be a Sith, Aurine supposed, it could have been another trained Force user, but a Force user with a grudge against the Jedi? Those were rare beings in the galaxy. Swallowing hard, she spoke into her comlink, "Captain Den'arv have you sent anyone into the museum?"

"There was a pair of police officers outside that tried to enter, they were rendered unconscious almost immediately, we were about to send in another team."

Aurine startled, "Do NOT in any circumstance send anyone into that museum, try to seal off the exits if you can but do not go in without me there."

She could hear the skepticism on the other end of the line, "As you wish Master Jedi," the Bothan replied dutifully.

When she arrived on the scene, Quelba was already in charge, order around people with shouted orders. When he saw her and Selan arrive, Quelba hurried over to her, "Master Jedi, I have a team of police officers ready to follow you into the museum."

"Then lets go."

Aurine jumped from the speeder and didn't wait to give any detailed instructions, she just raced up the steps and into the Navshe'starn Museum of Bothan Art. Quickly, she found the room where Sascha had fought his attacker. It was still a bit of a mess, obviously a fight had taken place. But there was no sign of Sascha or Weliss, just pieces of priceless ceramic vases lying scattershot across the floor.

Behind her, she heard Quelba shouting orders to the technicians as they set up their equipment. Aurine didn't need specialized equipment, she had the Force. She knelt down and concentrated, trying to glean some sort of insight from the Force.

Unfortunately for her, everything worked against her doing just that. Her mind was anything but calm. The scene was anything but calm, with other technicians, police officers and the rest of Quelba's team parading around the room. But still, she hoped that the Force would show her _something_ considering the life of a Jedi was potentially on the line. But the Force was silent as a tomb.

Her conversation with the Force was interrupted by Selan tapping her lightly on the shoulder, "Master Jedi, could you please move? We need to bring in some equipment and you are sitting in the best spot."

"I'll move," she said resignedly. Aurine picked herself up and walked away from the spot where she had knelt. Almost immediately, a pair of Bothan technicians took over the space she had been occupying and went to work, pulling out expensive looking machinery and starting to fiddle with the nobs and levers on the device.

Aurine needed some time alone to clear her head. She knew that she would do nothing but impede the work of the technicians, and Quelba didn't need her to look over her shoulder. Aurine Brynar, Jedi Knight, was useless at the current moment. She was on a mission where she had failed at every turn and had lost the one being that she had sworn on her life to protect. She wasn't sure if she had ever had a lower point in her career.

"I need some air," she muttered to herself. She found the back exit to the Museum and pushed through the door. Then she sat at the top of the small steps, overlooking a back alleyway. It was not exactly a picturesque setting, but it would have to do.

She sat at the top of the stairs for a few long minutes, not even thinking. It was like her brain had overloaded and just went offline. But Aurine welcomed the peace of mind. Her weakness had always been leaping into action before thinking. What she wanted to do was to do something insane to draw Weliss' attention, but she was going to play the patient game. Because a true Jedi Knight did not let emotion guide her, even if every fibre of her being cried out for immediate action.

She heard the door open behind her. A Bothan sat next to her, "We'll find him, don't worry, Master Jedi," said Quelba.

"I made so many mistakes today. I played right into Weliss' hands. Now he has us right where he wants us. And its all my fault." To be totally honest, Aurine felt worthless, stupid and out of her depth. Three feelings she hadn't dealt with in a long time.

Quelba was a silent for a moment, "That is one way to think about it. The way to see it is that the past is the past and the future is what is important."

Aurine sighed and stood, "You are right Captain Den'arv. I'm going to get my Padawan back. Whatever it takes."

She wondered however, if Weliss did turn out to be a powerful Force user, if she would be strong enough to make the difference.


	30. Chapter 29: Conversations

**Guest -** Unfortunately, I've never played The Force Unleashed, so I'd be a pretty terrible author for TFU fanfiction!

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- Yeah I think Yoda has been Grand Master of the Jedi Order for like 400+ years, so I think that he's a pretty well-known figure within the Republic. I mean Ezah is like 15+ chapters ago, its hard to remember that far back! But yeah, she still has a small part to play. Yeah Sascha took more than one punch - he's tough, just like his Master. She'll get some more solo time...but right now we need to check in on a certain Padawan.

A/N - I got nothing.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Conversations**

Sascha Whitestar awoke slowly as if emerging from a daze. "Unnngh," he heard himself groan. As he slowly took stock of his surroundings, he found that he was laying on his side with his hands restrained behind his back. The room in which he was being held could have redefined the word barren, it was just him in the room and very little else. No windows, no furniture, and only one door.

He tried to sit up and found that despite the simplicity of the command, his body refused to follow orders. Sascha's head pounded incessantly, making it rather difficult to process the simplest of thoughts. His body was sluggish as he sat and tried to take stock of his condition. That indicated that he probably had a minor concussion at the very least. Great.

As the minutes passed Sascha was slowly able to take stock of the rest of his physical condition. He didn't seem to have any other injuries besides his probable concussion, which was good. Everything else though, was bad. His hands were bound together behind his back with a pair of stuncuffs that appeared to be modified to send a shock down his arms every few seconds. The shocks were slightly painful, but what they did more than anything was interrupt his concentration and make it impossible to use the Force. The cuffs were taking a toll on his aching shoulders too.

Perhaps when he didn't have a pounding headache from being kicked in the head, he might be able to use some simple Force abilities, but at the moment he didn't think he could manage to do the most basic of Force techniques. He felt(and was) weak. So, all in all, he was at the mercy of whoever had attacked him. While Sascha suspected that it had been Weliss, he hadn't exactly gotten confirmation before he had lost his lightsaber and been unceremoniously Force pushed into a pillar.

As he slowly put the pieces of the mystery together, he was starting to suspect that Weliss was more than just a Force user. He was a Sith.

While it seemed like an outrageous conclusion on the face of it, every piece of the puzzle fit. It explained why he seemed to be targeting the Jedi. It explained how he was able to defeat the security at all the museums that he had stolen from, because if Sascha could do it, certainly a more powerful Force user could. It also explained how his attacker was able to cloak himself in the Force, and then able to so easily defeat him. Sascha was no combat specialist, but neither was he completely incompetent when it came to fighting. However being so comprehensively defeated in a few seconds like he had been spoke to his attacker's power. Sascha grimaced at how he had easily been taken by surprise by Weliss, certainly he would not that mistake again.

 _If_ he lived through this.

He had rarely contemplated his own mortality and he didn't particularly want to start right now, but it was certainly in the back of his mind that he might be living out his final days. It wasn't a very cheerful thought.

This was not going to be a fun time, Sascha knew. As a Jedi Padawan, Sascha had many nuggets of knowledge that his captor would probably try to extract from him, including transmitter codes, knowledge of encryptions used by the Jedi, and on and on. All would be useless now, as soon as Master Brynar informed the Council of what happened, all the codes would be changed and all of it would be out of date. But still, he knew things of value, the locations of Jedi training centres for example. But he was not going to be a very useful prisoner past that. That probably did not bode well for his chances of survival as a prisoner.

Prisoner. Sascha licked his dried and cracked lips. The thought that he was a helpless prisoner was a difficult one to get his mind around. "A Jedi is at home in any circumstance," he said to himself quietly. Somehow, the phrase that Sascha had picked up from his Master rung a little hollow at the current moment.

He had been taught at the Temple how to withstand standard interrogation techniques and how to prolong survival when captured. There had been no class on what to do if you were taken prisoner by the Sith. Whatever interrogation…or torture techniques the dark side cult had access to, they were certainly going to be far beyond what he had learned in the classroom. He would resist until the end, he decided. There is no death, there is the Force he reminded himself. The thought didn't exactly make him feel better.

The heavy door swung open,and a brown furred Bothan emerged. Sascha instantly knew that this was Weliss. The Bothan strode through the door not wearing the black cloak he used to conceal his identity, but a simple black jumpsuit that wouldn't look out of place on a hundred different worlds. The Bothan was younger than Sascha expected, he was not expert in telling the age of Bothans, but Weliss seemed to be in his early or mid-twenties and had handsome features for his species.

Sascha jumped up and launched himself at the Bothan, aiming a kick for the centre of the Bothan's chest. His kick missed the Bothan as Weliss twisted out of the way. As Sascha tried to reset himself, he felt an impact land on his left cheek and suddenly he was heading towards the ground. With his hands being tied behind his back he had no way to break his fall. He did, however, manage to land on his shoulder instead of his head.

"That was not very bright my young Padawan," said Weliss.

Sascha toyed with the idea of trying to get up and try again. Going down fighting seemed inordinately preferable to being a prisoner. But he wasn't entirely sure he could get to his feet to kick at Weliss again.

Sascha heard the door open, "I'll be back when you are in a more compliant mood, Padawan." The door closed and Sascha was alone again.

"That went...poorly," Sascha muttered to himself.

He instinctively tried to bring his hands to his face to check what sort of damage Weliss' strike had caused him, but his aching shoulders quickly reminded him that he couldn't even do that. Still, he's able to see the slight amount of blood that is pooling off his face and to the ground. Probably a split lip, he thinks to himself. Just another ailment to add to the list.

After a couple of minutes of lying on the ground, he was able to prop himself up into a sitting position again. The cut on his lip had stopped bleeding, which was nice, though he could tell that his lip was also going to be rather swollen in a few minutes. He tried to push through the pain and the electric shocks that were pulsing down his wrists and access the Force. He couldn't. He could barely tell that the Force was even there.

So, seeing no better option, he waited for Weliss' return. The Bothan returned perhaps ten minutes later, pushing his way through the door and closing it behind him. "So, Padawan, are you going to play nice?"

Sascha nodded, subdued.

"I am sorry to treat you like this," Weliss said conversationally as he strolled languidly around the small room, "But you forced my hand." Weliss shook his head, "And then you attacked me without provocation? What have I done to deserve that?"

Sascha said nothing, but it took an effort of will not to respond to the Bothan.

Weliss continued, "Do you like your room? I spent a lot of time preparing it."

Sascha glanced around at the emptiness of the room, "I like what you've done with the place," he said sardonically.

Weliss took no notice of the sarcastic comment, "Do you like the modifications made to your stuncuffs? The small stun charge is randomized in both timing and strength, makes it difficult to use the Force, does it not?"

He shrugged, "As torture devices go, it's pretty okay, I guess."

"Torture device?" Weliss appeared genuinely confused as he perched above the seated Padawan, "Why would I want to torture you?"

Sascha didn't respond, unsure of what response Weliss was looking for.

"It appears you are confused as to why I captured you, young Padawan, I have no intention of torturing you, I only want to set you free."

"I'm feeling very free at the moment," replied the Padawan, indicating his manacled hands.

Weliss waved a hand dismissively, "Your restraints are a temporary measure. I can't have a little Jedi running around and calling for help from his Master before I free him."

Sascha was not exactly operating at all of his mental capacity currently and he was very, very confused at the direction this conversation was taking. "Free me from what?" he asked.

"Why from being a Jedi of course!" the Bothan said, his blue eyes burning passionately.

If he wasn't handcuffed and recovering from being knocked unconscious Sascha would have laughed right in Weliss' face. "Sorry, I'm dealing with a bit of a concussion, you'll have to explain what you are talking about."

"You are patronizing me, Jedi, but I will allow your insolence. You cannot help that you were born a slave and brainwashed into being a Jedi." Sascha eyed the Bothan suspiciously, but Weliss wasn't even really paying attention to him. "Most beings in the galaxy are born free, but you were not, did you know that Padawan Whitestar? The second you were born and your blood was tested for its midi-chlorian count, you were no longer free, you were a Jedi whether you liked it or not. From that moment to today, you have been a slave to the Jedi Order. Property of the Jedi Order. And once you became a Padawan you became a slave to your Master. Did you know I talked to her after I captured you? I assumed that she would have offered to take your place, but she didn't even beg for your life. It was quite sad really. Obviously she doesn't value your life very much."

Sascha tried to appear shocked for the benefit of his captor, but he'd never been a very convincing liar. He was sure that Aurine was doing everything in her considerable power to find him and free him from captivity. There was no way that Aurine would ever bow to a demand made by a madman like Weliss, even if it saved his life. He made no reply.

"You don't believe me," Weliss said matter-of-factly.

"I'm having trouble taking you at your word Weliss," he retorted.

The Bothan snorted derisively, "You are a defiant one, Padawan, but you have no reason to be. Only I have your best interests at heart. You see the Jedi who enslave the force sensitive children of the Republic and make them slaves, are slaves themselves! Except they choose to become slaves to the Republic, to the Chancellor. The Jedi say that they are servants of the Republic, guardians of the Force, but what is a servant if not a slave?"

"I think servants get paid," the Padawan replied blithely.

Weliss would not be interrupted though, "Me and you, we are blessed. Blessed with the ability to use the Force, why should we be slaves to others? The common people should be serving us!" The Bothan punctuated his last statement with a triumphant fist-pump. He's not a bad orator, Sascha decided, but he's not convinced by any of his arguments. "You should be the King of Sluis Van, you should have servants at your command!" continued the Bothan.

"I don't think I'm particularly interested in having servants or commanding others."

"Then you know nothing, Sascha Whitestar."

Sascha shrugged in his seated position. This conversation was odd, but at least he wasn't actually being tortured for information. Maybe if Weliss got too distracted by the words coming out of his mouth he could take advantage and get the upper hand. Somehow.

"I've been doing my research on you," continued Weliss. "You are an interesting young man, Sascha Whitestar. Did you know you are a minor celebrity on Sluis Van? If you wanted to, you could be the Khedive of Sluis Van in a fortnight."

"Good to know, I'll hire you as a political advisor then."

Weliss seemed annoyed with the flippant Padawan for the first time, and though Sascha can barely touch the Force in his weakened state, he gets the impression that Weliss wants to strike him for his insolence. "Jedi, you are trying my patience. I am trying to open your mind."

"Apologies, Master."

This time Weliss does strike him with a hard backhand across his face. Sascha tasted blood in his mouth as the wound on his lip opens up again.

Sensing an opportunity, Sascha feigns being more seriously hurt, lying on his side unmoving. Weliss doesn't buy it for a second, "Get up, Padawan, you embarrass yourself with that display, you may be too weak to use the Force, but I know when you are deceiving me. After all, the Force is with me." Reluctantly, Sascha sways back into a seated position, feeling blood trickling from his mouth down his chin.

"Are you ready to listen now Sascha Whitestar from Sluis Van?"

Sascha considered replying with another sardonic comment, but he's uninterested in antagonizing Weliss further. He nodded politely to Weliss.

Weliss guffawed, "You see how quickly your slave instincts kick in, Jedi."

"I didn't know being polite was the instinct of a slave."

"Have you met many slaves in your journeys, Sascha Whitestar?"

Sascha met Weliss' stare for a second and then bows and shakes his head. "No"

"Slaves are property, just like you are property of the Jedi Council. They teach you want they think it is safe for you to know. They order you around and put you in over your head. They use you to whatever ends they see fit, no more than just another cog in the machine."

Weliss paused for effect, "But that is not even the worst part. The Jedi forbid so much. They forbid attachments, emotions, looking into the dark side and so much more! How is it that one sect gets to define themselves as users of the 'light' side of the Force and gets to paint their enemies as users of the 'dark' side? I'll tell you why, it's because the victors write the history books and the Jedi were victorious in the last war with the Sith. Because of this, the Jedi are portrayed as heroic and the Sith as evil, but if the Sith had been victorious, they would have painted the Jedi as evil, and power hungry and the Sith as the liberators of systems galaxy-wide. It is only because a few battles went one way a thousand years ago that you are a Jedi instead of a Sith, did you ever think of that Padawan?"

Is this supposed to be some sort of recruiting pitch for the Sith? If so, it is not one that is going to be effective on him, "I can't say I've thought about it that much," Sascha said cautiously.

Weliss seems to take this as a hint to continue, "I have studied both 'sides' of the Force as the Jedi Council would call it," said Weliss in a conspiratorial tone. "There is nothing inherently dark or light about the Force. It simply is. The Force is there to be used, to be bent to our will, if one has the ability to use it. Yet the Jedi let their 'wise' Council restrict their knowledge? They let the Council dictate the way they live their lives? Why? Can't some Jedi be trusted to have relationships without turning to the dark side? Surely, it has happened in the history of the Jedi Order, some Knight had a mistress on the side, but was able to do his duty otherwise. How can all attachments lead to the dark side? Don't they say that only a Sith deals in absolutes?"

That was just about the first cogent point that Weliss has made in this bizarre rant, even he has to admit. Weliss has clearly been reading his reaction in the Force, and the Bothan seems heartened that he is finally getting through to him, "You know that I speak the truth. You know what, my young Jedi, I bet you have a 'special friend' that you have an eye on back at the Temple, one who makes your heart beat faster when you see her. But you're a good Jedi, you aren't allowed to have those sort of normal feelings," Weliss said derisively. "I bet that you pushed your feelings towards this person so far down inside of you that you barely admit that they ever exist."

Sascha swallowed hard…don't think about Tyra, he tried to command himself. Unfortunately telling yourself not to think about something is basically a mental cue to starting thinking about that particular thing. Images and memories of Tyra come to the forefront of his mind. Her laugh. Her smile. The way that everything just seemed right when she was with him. Desperately, he attempts to push these thoughts away from the forefront of his mind. He absolutely does not want Weliss to know who he is thinking about.

"You are too weak to prevent me from searching your thoughts Padawan," said the Bothan. Weliss closes his eyes and extends his hand so that he is almost touching him. In the back of his mind he can almost feel Weliss searching through his brain. It was something a Jedi would never do, unless it was an extreme emergency, but Weliss lacks that moral compunction. Sascha had trained to protect his thoughts from others, but he's too weak at the moment to provide any resistance to this unwanted incursion from the Bothan.

After a short pause, Weliss opened his eyes again, and folds his hands together, "So you are close with this Tyra Harker, are you?"

"She's a friend," he replied, striving for a neutral tone.

Weliss sighed and sat across from the Padawan, putting them at the same eye level.

"Sascha…may I call you that?"

He currently can't summon the defiance to offer a scathing remark, so he maintains his silence, and hopes desperately that Weliss has not found a weakness to exploit. "What you feel towards your young friend isn't wrong, you know." Weliss said. softly, like an older brother consoling a younger one. "The Jedi need to control everything. So you never got the freedom to explore your feelings for each other, did you? And she does care for you, yes? Have you told her how you feel about her?"

"I don't know how I feel about her," he mumbled.

Weliss shook his head, "Yes you do."

"I had feelings for her," he admitted. "She admitted that she loved me, and that makes things...confusing, to say the least. But we are nothing but friends. We can never be more than just friends. That's our relationship."

"But you care for her?" asked Weliss gently.

"Of course, we grew up together, we were inseparable." Sascha realized that he was babbling about his life to a man that had kidnapped him and put him in stuncuffs. He shut his mouth.

"But it could be…should be more, yes?"

He shakes his head, "No. We are both Jedi, being friends are all we can be, and I accept that."

He feels Weliss search his thoughts again, now the Bothan leans over and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. Instinctively the Padawan flinches away from Weliss' touch. The Bothan sighs and removes his hand, "They have been masterful in brainwashing you, Padawan. Aren't you two stronger when you are together? Yet the Jedi Code would insist that both of you bury your normal emotions for each other. Does that seem fair? Does that seem right?"

"It is what it is," Sascha said evasively. This conversation had taken an unpleasant…and very personal turn for the worse.

"I am sorry Padawan Whitestar, but as long as you are a Jedi and have these unfair restrictions placed on your life you will never be able to have the sort of relationship that gives most beings purpose."

"I have a purpose in my life," interjected Sascha, "I'm a Jedi."

"But you don't have to be," said the Bothan earnestly. "I can teach you how to hide from them like I hid from you. You can live your life and be free! Be rich! Be famous! Find a good girl and make yourself a nice family. Whatever you want, whatever you desire, it can all be yours! You were a slave, Sascha. But now you can be free." Weliss nudged him on the shoulder, "I free you, Sascha Whitestar. All you need to do now is accept that you are a free man."

The thought appeals to him for one practical reason – if Weliss is being honest and he 'frees' him from being a Jedi, he could easily just return to his Master when he is released. He's not sure he can fool the Bothan, but it's not like things could get worse for him.

He tried to play along with Weliss, trying to seem honestly intrigued by the idea. "But the Jedi will be looking for me, my Master will be looking for me, how can we fool them?"

The Bothan grinned, "I will teach you how to hide in the Force from them. If we both disappear from Bothawui, and it is not all that hard to do, they will search for you…for a bit. Then they will forget you ever existed. Remember Sascha, to them you are just an apprentice, and there are many more where you came from. They do _not_ value you."

"My Master cares," Sascha blurted, "She won't give up looking for me."

Weliss shrugged, "That may be true...for a time. Sascha, you don't owe the Jedi anything. You don't need them. You can create a life for yourself on any world in the galaxy, I will provide you the credits to do that. You might be too well known on Sluis Van to live there, but any other world you wish to live on, any job you wish to have – they can be yours."

"Take a night to think about it," Weliss said solemnly, "If you choose to free yourself, I will show you your true potential, I will not be your Master, but I will tell you what I have learned in my travels across the galaxy. You may not be able to use some of the techniques that I have mastered, because you are much weaker than me in the Force, but you will at least _know_ them." Weliss rose, "Otherwise the Jedi Council will take and take and take from you. To the Jedi you are just a weak apprentice that might become a weak Jedi Knight. They don't care about you, I doubt they even know your name. They'll impose their whacked out moral code on you whether or not you could handle a real relationship with your friend Tyra. The choice is simple Sascha, either live a slave or live a free man…I think you know what I would recommend."

The Padawan is aware enough to realize the not-so-subtle hint delivered by Weliss. Choose wrong and you'll die in this very room.

Messaged delivered, Weliss moves towards the door, "You seem to know a lot about the Jedi Weliss. How did you learn all this information?" he inquired innocently.

Weliss is about to leave him alone in this damp and empty room, but he turned just before he closes the door. "I know this, because…well…You see I too, was a Jedi. But no Master wanted me to be their Padawan so I was allowed to leave. And I thank the Force every day for that. Because now I am free. And you can be too. Consider the offer, Sascha Whitestar. I'll need your answer tomorrow."

Once Weliss was gone, Sascha slumped over onto his side. What a choice he'd been presented with. Die as a Jedi, or live and abandon everything that he was.


	31. Chapter 30: Unpleasant Thoughts

**Guest -** Not sure how to answer that, really. He's kind of below average when it comes to pure power in the Force. Aurine's pretty average, as is Doro and Trigg. Nara and Tyra are above average to varying degrees.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** Yeah that is a good point about Weliss being free but still being obsessed with the Jedi. I mean couldn't the dude just rob a bank somewhere and then just live like a king? Where are your priorities, bro?

 **7doom** \- Thanks for the review! - I always consider my villains to be more than just obstacles. Like my 'main' characters they need to have a motivation and a backstory. Then you simply put your heroes and your 'villain' on a collision course and watch it all play out.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- Yeah I think Yoda has been Grand Master of the Jedi Order for like 400+ years, so I think that he's a pretty well-known figure within the Republic. I mean Ezah is like 15+ chapters ago, its hard to remember that far back! But yeah, she still has a small part to play. Yeah Sascha took more than one punch - he's tough, just like his Master. She'll get some more solo time...but right now we need to check in on a certain Padawan.

A/N - I got nothing.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated. Thank you to those that have followed and favourited this story over the last little while.

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Unpleasant Thoughts  
**

With the stuncuffs still delivering their disrupting shocks down his wrist and up his spine, Sascha Whitestar was less a Jedi and more of a cold, tired, and beaten up teenager. Tired and alone in this tiny room. He's been trying to plot out some sort of escape plan since Weliss left him alone a couple of hours ago, but he can't think of any plan that has even a remote chance of success. Right now, without much of his ability to use the Force, thanks to the remnants of the headaches that he has and the shocks from the stuncuffs, he is just basically just a human that is in great shape and has ample combat training. Not really a Jedi in any way shape or form. This makes plotting an escape from a powerful Force user that has him locked in a room quite difficult. Perhaps impossible.

Sascha couldn't remember a time in his life when he's ever felt so helpless. Even at his lowest moment, when he thought that his own death had been assured on Kuat, he at least had the Force as his ally, he at least had a fighting chance. Right now, there was no question that if he confronted Weliss without his lightsaber and without one-hundred percent of his ability to use the Force he would be defeated. And maybe even at full strength, and with his lightsaber, he may not stand much of a chance either. He was also realizing that although he didn't necessarily fear his own death, there was a difference between not fearing his demise and actually being able to walk into a situation that was almost certain to lead to his death. Maybe when it came right down to it, he wasn't all that brave.

It was in these circumstances that he legitimately thought about accepting Weliss' offer. It was fraught with peril, even if the Bothan was being honest. That is, unless he legitimately wanted to accept the offer to leave the Jedi and his old life behind. His first instinct had been to use Weliss' offer to 'free' him to use it to escape back to his Master, but he doubted he would be able to maintain his deception for very long. He was simply was a terrible liar, and trying to deceive Weliss did not exactly seem like a good plan, because if Weliss found out he was trying to deceive him, he doubted that he would be very forgiving. So his options were as far as he could reckon, were accept Weliss' offer legitimately and leave the Jedi forever and make a new life for himself, or he could try to fight Weliss and likely die, but die as a Jedi.

Alternatively, this whole thing could all be an elaborate game that Weliss was playing.

Sascha sighed. He kept coming back to Weliss. Was he a Sith? Or was he who he claimed to be, a failed Jedi? Weliss didn't really seem to fit the archetype of a Sith. He seemed too sincere about his desire to free the young Jedi from his so-called slavery. It could be a deception, Sascha admitted to himself, but this whole plan seemed too elaborate. And why would the Sith even bother with a less than average apprentice like himself? Unless tapping into the dark side made him significantly stronger, which he doubted, he would still be a rather poor warrior, one with few connections that would be missed by few within the Jedi Order. His death would not exactly be a massive blow to the Jedi. It didn't seem to add up, but perhaps the Sith had changed their modus operandi in the thousand years they had been dormant. Overall, Sascha believed that Weliss was who he said he was, a former Jedi that was probably not Sith.

Returning to the most important question, if he was going to legitimately give up the Jedi he would have to give up all he thought was important to him. Doro and Trigg. Nara. Luminara. Master Brynar. Tyra. What is he if not a Jedi? His escapade with Ezah had shown him that he was unprepared for the 'normal' world. Being a Jedi was all he knew. His only ambition in life was to be a Jedi Knight and serve the Republic the best he could.

However, he was useless to the Jedi, and the galaxy if he was dead. If he truly was a servant of the Force and not just a slave to the Jedi Order, he could follow the will of the Force and not be a Jedi. He could still help people. He still had talents that could save lives, and protect innocents outside of the confines of the Jedi Order. He could make new friends. And maybe, just maybe he would adapt into being normal. The thought was appealing. A house, a wife, a few kids, maybe a little pet, he would experience none of those simple joys if he remained a Jedi and here he was was being offered the chance to be free and start his life over. How many beings were ever offered a fresh start?

He came to his decision.

He would confront Weliss and if he died he would die a Jedi. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't try to fight. He was a fighter, a survivor. A warrior of light. He could not call Trigg, Doro, Nara and Tyra his friends and then betray everything that they and he stood for. He tried to think of how he could explain himself to Tyra, his best friend and guiding light. Every argument that he articulated sounded so hollow when he tried to frame it in a way that would make her understand his choice. Sascha almost could feel deep inside that if he was able to have a conversation with her right now, she would tell him to fight for what was right, because if you could not do it with your life on the line, you never truly believed in what you were doing.

Sascha nodded to himself in his cold and empty room. But he no longer felt alone. He had his friends, even if they were not physically here, they were with him in spirit. _Strength through connections_ , he thought, how true those words are.

Weliss was right about one thing, he had been born to normal parents on a Republic world, but he had not really theirs. He was a child of the Jedi, a servant of the Force and he would serve until his last breath.

Sascha laid back and closed his eyes, feeling a sense of calm returning to him for the first time since he had been attacked. He enjoyed that sensation for a little while, and then he went to work.

If he was going to escape, and Sascha was committed to that course of action now, he needed to get his ability to use the Force back without alerting Weliss. It was easier said than done. To use the Force one needed to be able to concentrate, and having electrical shocks running through your body was pretty disruptive to your concentration. So he needed to defeat the stuncuffs without actually taking them off, because surely if he detached them from his wrists, his Bothan captor would be alerted.

As a first part of his plan he tried use one of his favourite Force techniques, an aspect of _curato_ _salva_ that reduced the mind's perception of pain. By putting that technique in place, he would be able to mitigate some of the pain from the stuncuffs. It was a technique that he knew very well and had become quite proficient at over the years.

Sascha pushed through the pain and held on to his current, tenuous, grasp of the Force. Then he tried the combination in his mind that he had done hundreds of times before and… he fails, he's in exactly as much pain as he was before.

He groaned, he'd been able to use this aspect of _curato salva_ even during intense sparring sessions…why is it not working for him now? He curled into a little ball in his tiny room, his arms grind in their sockets as they continue to be forced into their unnatural position behind his back. The bravado he had summoned earlier seems to have just dissipated. He's just too tired, too hurt, too disheartened to do anything it seems except lay here.

Here lays Sascha Whitestar, terrible Jedi Padawan, he thought to himself bitterly. Maybe he was better off just accepting Weliss' offer...

"Get up, Sascha," said a familiar voice.

"Tyra?" he whispered, "How is this possible? You're not really here."

The brown haired, beige robed form of his best friend sits in front of him and shrugs in the exact way he's seen her shrug a thousand times before, just a little movement of the shoulders and the slightest of smirks on her lips. Undaunted by his skepticism of her existence, Tyra continued to talk, "I imagine its your subconscious conjuring up a comforting image for you. Or you are dreaming. But I have no intention of being comforting. I'm here to tell you that you are an idiot. You always have been, but this," she spreads her arms wide, "this might take the cake."

"I…don't understand Tyra."

"Obviously," she said in her familiar mocking tone.

Sascha considered that this might be another Sith trick and he wonders if Weliss peered into his mind long enough to be able to project the image of Tyra into his mind. However, this Tyra seemed far too much like the one he had grown up with, the person he cared for most in the galaxy. The image of Tyra leans towards him, "What did you just learn? What is written on your lightsaber? _Strength through connections_. Then when you could actually use those connections…you don't. Why are you such an idiot, Sascha?"

"I think I was born that way," he smiles and Tyra smiled back. It's the rare smile that she reserves only for him, only her truest, closest friend. It's a smile that could have made him warm, even if he was trapped outside on a cold night on Hoth.

"You're not alone Sascha, wherever you are in the universe, I'm with you, no stuncuffs can take that away from you. You just need to believe in yourself like I believe in you." The image…or manifestation or whatever this is that has taken the form of Tyra cups his cheek gently, "You can do this Sascha."

"I'll give it everything I have," he promised.

"You'd better," warned Tyra, "Because I want to see your face again, and no, haunting me as a Force ghost does not count."

"I'd never haunt you, Tyra," he said softly.

"But you would haunt me," Tyra replied. "If I lost you...I don't know what I'll do with myself."

This was a very odd line of conversation to have with his own subconscious. Honestly, he wasn't even sure if he was awake or dreaming. He was talking to Tyra though, and that was all that mattered. "Tyra...I think I have to tell you something."

Tyra leaned closer to him, and Sascha could have sworn that he could have felt the warmth of Tyra's breath on his face. "What is it Sascha?"

"I want you to know how much I care about you."

Tyra smiled wryly, "You realize that you are talking to your own subconscious right?"

"Come on, be serious."

Tyra shook her head slowly, "Sascha...you don't need to say anything, you've never needed to say anything to me about how much you matter to me. You love me. I've always known that. While you say that you don't love me romantically, I've always known that our love is real, however we've defined it."

"Tyra, I'm not sure how I feel about you anymore," he said softly. "I used to think about how it wasn't love, because I wasn't wildly infatuated with you like I was when I was younger. But at this moment, when I'm contemplating that my life might be measured in hours instead of days, the person that comes to mind most often is you."

"Then you love me," Tyra said simply. "And I love you. And I think I have since I was ten. Maybe the makes us bad Jedi. Maybe it doesn't. I don't know. Just don't do something stupid like I did. No emotion is worth that. If you ever turn dark, I'll hunt you down myself." Judging from Tyra's stern expression, she meant it.

"I'm a Jedi until the day I die," Sascha promised his friend.

"Maybe you should tell the real Tyra what you just said to me when you see her again," the apparition of Tyra suggested. "It should probably give you some additional motivation for your escape."

Sascha chuckled, "I suppose it does."

Tyra stood, "Goodbye Sascha. We'll see each other again. One way or another."

Then the vision of Tyra faded and he was back alone in the room.

My subconscious is messed up, he thought as he peered around the room, looking for a ghost. He seems to have slept for a couple of hours while he had that short conversation with Tyra. And what an odd conversation it had been. Sascha sat up, trying to shake out the soreness in his shoulders and neck, side effects, no doubt, of laying on the cold hard floor for hours.

Surprisingly, all of that seems to matter less today than it did yesterday. He figured that he might as well try to use his plan from yesterday, using _curato salva_ to allay his pain. He closed his eyes and concentrated. First, he draws from positive memories from his past, mostly they revolve around Tyra, but Nara, Doro and Trigg feature as well. Then, with those memories still at the forefront of his mind, he tries the _curato salva_ pattern again. This time it works.

While he can still feel the shocks emanating from the stuncuffs, the pain is detached from him, it's like the pain is happening to a relative of his, but not to Sascha Whitestar. "Thank you, Tyra Harker, wherever you are," he whispered into the empty room.

Being much less in pain than he was before, Sascha reached out and tried to access the Force. This time, he manages to do it. He lets out a sigh of relief. He keeps his his Force aura pulled in close to hopefully prevent Weliss from sensing anything and starts healing his tired and bruised body. He concentrates on the parts of his body that need the most assistance. His shoulders are arching and have been constrained to be in an awkward position for some time. To say the muscles in his shoulder were agitated was an understatement. Letting the Force heal his shoulders felt almost heavenly.

Over the next little while, Sascha healed his body the best he could, all the while trying to keep his presence in the Force muted. As the Force slowly flows into him, he feels some of his familiar confidence return, and as it does, he smiles. Just the ability to touch and control the Force makes him feel like a Jedi again and Jedi were capable of amazing feats.

That meant that _he_ was capable of amazing feats.

Grinning slightly to himself, he turned to his next problem. The stuncuffs were still attached to his wrists but without the electricity pulsing down his wrists, they were merely cuffs. He was sure that with the Force, he could manage to slip them off. It was unlikely to be comfortable, but he could do. For now though, he left them on, mostly because he was pretty sure that the second that the cuffs were not in contact with his skin, Weliss would get an alarm. And he doesn't want the Bothan to suspect what is coming for him.

When the time is right he'll remove the stuncuffs, call out to his Master in the Force and then fight for everything he is worth. It's not much of a plan, but it's his plan.

Sascha sat in as comfortable a position as he could and waited for the right moment, feeling surprisingly calm. At least now, the Force was with him.

* * *

In the temporary headquarters of the Jedi led task force, Aurine Brynar prowled like a caged animal. It has been almost a day and a half since her Padawan has been captured and she is no closer to finding him. For the first time in her life, Aurine feels trapped, unable to do the one thing that she really wants to do.

There had been some leads that had been developed in the last few days, unfortunately they ended up amounting to very little. Selan had discovered the speeder that Weliss had used to transport Sascha from the museum using surveillance footage from one of the nearby buildings. Eager to follow up on the lead, she and Selan had pored over surveillance footage, only to find that the path that Weliss had drove had avoided all security cameras. Weliss was more than simply just a step ahead, he had intricate plans that were very difficult to stop.

Other leads had come and gone over the past day. Quelba had received a report of a robbery happening near where Sascha had been taken. Initially the team had hoped that it may have been Weliss striking out again. It had turned out to be a run-of-the-mill robbery gone wrong.

Short of going door to door and searching the homes of the three point five billion Bothans, it seemed like Weliss and Sascha were gone. Perhaps having captured a Jedi Padawan, Weliss had simply taken him left the planet, which would explain why she hadn't been able to make contact with Sascha. She really hoped that was not the case, because it was a large galaxy and someone as skilled as Weliss could avoid detection essentially forever.

She had quietly convinced Evert Den'arv to increase security across the planet, hopefully making it impossible for Weliss and Sascha to leave the planet. She had to hope and trust in the Force that everything would work out in the end. But Aurine preferred not to hope and liked to have her fate and the fate of people she cared about in her own hands, this was almost a situation that seemed designed to torture her.

Right now, she was in a room with the members of Sascha's former task force. The mood of the room was dire, even the wisecracking Crem Irys'lon was grim. Of all the members of the task force, he had taken the capture of Sascha the hardest. She'd thought that it was perhaps possible that Crem could have been an ally for Weliss inside the task force, but when she had sat down with the Bothan, it hadn't taken her long to see that he was legitimately sorry for the 'mistake' he had made.

It was almost unfair to use the task force this way, given that she knew that Weliss was no ordinary criminal, but she could not tell them that. If she told them that they were tracking a Force user, she was going to receive plenty of questions that she couldn't answer. And it was not her place to reveal that Weliss (apparently) had a way to intercept messages being sent to the Jedi Temple. That would only undermine the reputation of the Jedi, and she had no interest in doing that. Aurine Byrnar was nothing if not a good little soldier and she knew that the Jedi's reputation needed to be upheld, so while misinforming Quelba and his subordinates didn't sit well with her, she would still do it.

Aurine shook her head and went outside to get a little air. Today on Bothawui, the weather was warm, and the sun beat down on her as soon as she exited the building. She started strolling around the sparely populated streets when she felt someone reach out to her in the Force.

It was Sascha.

She sent back all the relief, reassurance and confidence she could muster back to him. What she really wanted was a way for him to communicate to her where he was, but now that he was making his presence in the Force known again, she could get a slight idea of where he was. He wasn't close, but he wasn't half-way across the planet either.

Sascha, evidently wished to communicate through the long range Force connection and sent her a cascade of emotions. It was hard to understand, but she generally got the impression that he was about to try to make his escape and he was asking for her help.

Aurine dropped the datapad that she had been carrying and slipped into a deep trance, searching for her Padawan in the Force, this time she found him easily, he felt calm, composed, aware of the challenge that he was undertaking, but sure of himself. Almost confident. That was a rarity.

Aurine composed a last mental message for her Padawan - _Good luck, the Force is with you_. What Sascha would get from that message she had no idea.

Sascha closed his side of the connection with a little salute. Once the connection ended, she turned and raced back inside. As she got a brief moment to think about what she was doing, she wondered if she was possibly heading into another of Weliss' traps. Perhaps she should be cautious instead of running into danger.

It didn't take long for her to reject that idea. She had sworn an oath that Sascha would reach the rank of Jedi Knight, and she was darn sure that he was going to at least survive his first _year_ of training. She burst through the door, surprising the members of Quelba's task force. "What's wrong, Master Jedi?" inquired the Bothan

"I found Sascha. We have to go, NOW!" she replied.

Quelba froze for a second, and then sprung into action, "Crem, you are with me. Everyone else, I want you cordoning off the area and bringing in our Bothan Commando friends. We are going to end this _NOW!"_

The rest of the task force scrambled, as Crem, and Quelba came and faced her, "I have the quickest speeder on the base just outside. I assume you want to drive?"

Aurine was already heading out the door, forcing Crem and Quelba to jog to catch up to her, "Yes. I'll be driving. Just stay in contact with the rest of the team." Aurine paused for a second, "I have to tell you that what we are going to do may be rather dangerous. I want you to know this beforehand. You can back out if you wish"

Crem shook his head, "It was my fault he was captured, I'll help in any way I can."

"I don't let anything happen to my team members," growled Quelba.

Aurine felt herself get slightly emotional at the passionate response that Sascha was able to get from these beings that he had barely gotten to know. Then at seeing the open-topped speeder that Quelba was heading towards, she launched herself into the drivers seat with a Force empowered leap. Quelba and Crem clambered into the speeder by more conventional means. "Then lets go get my Padawan back."

She gunned the throttle and put the speeder in motion. Hold on Padawan, she thought, just hold on until we get there.


	32. Chapter 31: Showdown

**thejoker122 -** Weliss does seem to be very good at planning things out, doesn't he - and that might be the mark of an intelligence agent, or a well plotted revenge plot perhaps... As always, thanks for the review.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- Sorry, I meant to comment on your last review, can't believe I missed it :(. And you are right about the last chapter, I don't think it was very good. When I was editing it, I could tell that it wasn't up to my usual standard, but there wasn't an easy way to fix it, really. With the schedule that this fic is posted on, I really didn't have the time to go 'Okay, lets re-write a huge chunk of this.' So I definitely agree that it was a problematic chapter. Fortunately, I think this one is better.

A/N - So I think I have to apologize, the last few chapters haven't been up to my usual standard. I'd make an excuse, but I'm sure you don't want to hear them. Just know that I promise to do better in the future as this fic moves forward.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated, they are the little spark that keeps pressuring me to do better and write more.

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Showdown**

With his hands still bound by stuncuffs, Sascha Whitestar used the Force to slowly open the door that had kept him contained in his room. With his Force aura pulled in close to him, he was trying to be as stealthy as possible, so he kept the cuffs on in case there was an alarm on them that would go off if they were detached from his wrist. Being so stealthy might be pointless because the possibility of there being an alarm on the door was quite high, but it was worth a shot. Sascha figured sneaking out was a better option than fighting his way out.

He disabled the lock and gently moved the door just enough so that he could squeeze by. He slipped into the next room and shut the behind him. No alarm blared, so in his mind the escape was going about as well as could be expected at this point. The room in which he emerged seemed like a large abandoned warehouse, he saw discarded parts for droids, Starfighters and other ships on the shelves. Weliss was nowhere to be seen. Despite the almost overwhelming urge to try to search for an exit, he has a more urgent task to accomplish, he needs to contact his Master, and without his comlink, there is only one way to do that – through the Force.

Yet to do so would potentially broadcast his location to Weliss, even if he had managed, through pure luck, to find a time when Weliss was asleep, or otherwise occupied. To contact his Master he would need to open himself broadly to the Force, and it was kind of like broadcasting on a frequency only a few people could hear, there was no such thing as encryption, or a tight-beam broadcast – the second he opened himself up to his Master, there was a good chance Weliss would be alerted. But Sascha felt that he didn't exactly stand much of a chance against Weliss on his own, so he needed Aurine's aid and together they might be able to apprehend Weliss. He hoped. So he found as good a hiding place as he could manage, wedging himself in between what looked like a Starfighter engine and a large piece of sheet metal, and opened himself up to the Force.

He found his Master easily in the Force their bond made that a simple task. Sascha could instantly feel through their connection how relieved she was to know he was alive and relatively well. She sent him a bunch of confidence and reassurance through the Force, and even though she seemed fairly far away he found himself smiling to be able to 'talk' to her, even if for a moment. Knowing that he didn't want to maintain the connection for long, he closed down the connection and returned to full awareness of himself.

It was at this point that Sascha had a choice, he could either stay and wait until his Master arrived, hoping that for whatever reason that Weliss forgot about him, or he could try to make a full escape. Unfortunately, that choice was about to be ripped from him.

"I see you've turned down my generous offer, Jedi," the voice of Weliss came from seemingly every direction and none of them. Sascha looked around, trying to spot the Bothan, but he couldn't see Weliss. He supposed the Bothan was using an obscure Force trick to project his voice around the room. An interesting Force trick, he supposed.

Instinctively, Sascha pulled his Force aura as close to him as he could, making himself a tiny presence in the Force. "Smart move Jedi, but sadly it's futile, your stuncuffs have a tracking beacon on them," Weliss' voice came closer.

Sascha cursed quietly while he quietly shrugged off his manacles and stepped out of his improvised hiding spot. He could have tried to search for another hiding spot, but he had a feeling that it would be pointless. So he simply got himself ready for combat, trying to get the blood flowing into his previously cuffed hands and assessing his nearby environment to see if there was something around he could use to his advantage. A couple of ideas came to mind, but they were more desperate ploys than good ideas.

Weliss continued to project his voice around the warehouse, "It was so… disappointing to feel you call for your Master, like watching a slave that was freed spurn his newly won freedom to return to his old Master. I suppose I was too hopeful in thinking that I could show a Jedi freedom and he would accept. You could have been my brother, Sascha. But you will serve your purpose now, as bait. I would have preferred to give you a clean death, Padawan, but I need to draw your Master out and the only way to do that is to offer her a prize she cannot ignore. I promise that once she is here, I will grant you a swift death. I am not a monster though, a Jedi should die with his lightsaber in hand don't you think? Here."

Sascha is still not able to see his captor, but senses that he is coming closer, and now he hears a metallic object rolling slowly towards him. His lightsaber. Wary of a trap, he lets it roll on the floor and watched with one eye as it caroms around. He then discards the idea of it being a trap, if Weliss wanted to harm him, he had more than ample opportunity to do so, so he walked slowly over to his weapon and picked it up. Weliss emerged from around a corner, still dressed in the black jumpsuit from yesterday, but he did not appear to be in a congenial mood. Sascha quickly probed Weliss in the Force. He expected to be buffeted by raw dark side power, but while Weliss had clearly gone over to the dark side, the Bothan wasn't all that strong in the Force. Superior to him of course, but around his Masters power he estimated roughly. Maybe he could take him? Or maybe he could run from the Bothan?

He gathered himself in a quick second, then thrummed his teal blade to life. Weliss shook his head sadly, "Yesterday there were two Jedi on Bothawui. Tonight there will be none, all thanks to you, Sascha."

"Whatever you say, Weliss," he spat.

Weliss snorted, "You are a poor, deluded Jedi. You know, I thought it would be a service to the galaxy to free you, but I realize now that it was a folly. Now, you will die at my hand and you will die knowing that your Master died because of you as well. Quite a burden"

Weliss withdrew a lightsaber hilt of his own, his design seemed crude in comparison to his own, but when the red blade hummed to life, the Padawan stopped analyzing the hilt for its aesthetics and analyzed it for what it was, a weapon. With plenty of space to play with and in no real hurry to engage Weliss, Sascha backed away slowly, forcing the Bothan to come forward on the attack, which he did, leaping towards him with a Force-imbued jump.

Their lightsabers crashed into each other, a small shower of sparks emerging from the point of contact. The Bothan pressed him hard, slashing at his arms and legs, he kept playing for space, parrying the incoming attacks, but not offering much in the way of attacks of his own. Defence had always been his strength, and he wanted to get a feeling of what he was up against.

A few seconds in to the duel he was starting to get an impression of Weliss' combat style. Weliss was stronger than him in the Force by a reasonable margin, but the duel seemed rather even at the moment. The Bothan realized this as well, and at the end of one of his attacking sequences, instead of trying another attack, he reached out with his arm and used a Force push. Sascha was sent flying backwards and he landed hard on his side. Quickly, he used the Force to bring himself back into a fighting stance.

The Bothan had not made a move to follow up on his most effective attack up to this point, instead he languorously strolled back into the fray, showing contempt for his opponent. "You see that the Force serves me and not you, my deluded Jedi friend."

"I'm not your friend," Sascha muttered to himself.

Sascha dropped deeply into the Force, almost in a meditative way, as he had been taught by his instructors at the Jedi Temple. Form three of lightsaber combat, which he preferred, was the most introspective and defensive of the traditional lightsaber forms, and it required the practitioner to keep a calm and composed defence that rarely offered any attacks, instead opting to wait until the opponent made a critical mistake.

Weliss came forward with overhead slashes, reminiscent of form five, which his friend Trigg preferred. But the Bothan's attacks seemed sloppier, wilder, less refined, and not nearly as powerful as they could have been. Sascha let Weliss go on the attack for a little bit and then he sensed an opportunity. He pushed a downward strike from Weliss up towards the ceiling and tangled the blades together in a bind. With the swordplay temporarily put on hold due to the bind, he lashed out with a kick to Weliss' knee. If it impacted it would have shattered the Bothan's leg, however Weliss was too canny for that to happen. Weliss took a step back, making Sascha's kick fall short and the the Bothan repeated his previous Force push and sent the Padawan reeling backwards, though he did maintain his balance better than last time.

Not letting Sascha gather himself this time, Weliss attacked again, his previous arrogance forgotten. The Bothan feinted a high attack and then landed a kick that stung the Padawan's right hip. Sascha tried to reply with a kick of his own but had to abort it halfway through, lest Weliss' blade slice through his leg at the knee.

The small part of his conscious mind that wasn't thinking about the duel was starting to realize one thing: he was losing. The fight had a sort of pattern to it, Weliss would be able to force him into a minor mistake, not enough to wound or disarm him, but a light kick to a non-vital part of his body, or a quick, glancing blow to his head. Yet, the accumulation of these mistakes meant that he was gradually being worn down by Weliss, and at some point he would not manage to parry, and that would be...well...really bad. It wasn't that Weliss was some outstanding duelist, it was that Weliss had a mastery of telekenisis that Sascha could only be jealous of, and he hadn't yet figured out a way to counter it.

Sascha soon got another taste of Weliss' mastery of telekinesis. After he and Weliss had come to an impasse, the Bothan took a quick step back and extended his palm, once again sending him flying backwards. This time, Sascha did not have the time to fall gracefully, he instead crashed, back first, into a Starfighter engine, stunning him momentarily. He regained his senses just in time to avoid a leaping Bothan, his red blade slashing where his head had been just milliseconds before. Sascha scrambled away from the Bothan and broke into a run deciding that he needed some time and space to come up with a better plan.

Sascha turned around and faced his opponent again. He was getting tired of being thrown around by Weliss. He had spent long hours trying to improve his ability to use telekinesis, mostly for defensive purposes. It was possible to defeat a Force push, and he had done so in the past. The technique involved in counter a Force push was simple...if you had the ability to anticipate the incoming push. The problem was that Weliss was _just_ good enough with his lightsaber that Sascha couldn't spend the time counter Weliss' telekinesis.

Armed with this new knowledge, Sascha decided the only way that he could win was if he went on the attack and disabled Weliss. Sascha set his feet and attacked in his favourite pattern, feeling his body respond naturally, thanks to the thousands of repetitions that he had made of this pattern in his training. Weliss' eyes widened as he moved forward for the first time in the duel. He cut high towards Weliss' head with his lightsaber, the Bothan parried under pressure. He continued attacking Weliss' head, trying to keep him focused on that. Then he saw his opportunity, he just needed to bring his lightsaber towards Weliss' wrist...

...and he wiffed his chance as Weliss somehow managed to slide his arm out of the way. Weliss, upon realizing how close he'd been to having a body part unceremoniously chopped off, retreated to a safe distance. Tired of engaging the Padawan in a lightsaber duel, Weliss began fighting where he was stronger. He draw the Force around him and started to hurl some of the parts that were on the shelves of the warehouse at Sascha.

Taken by surprise, the young Jedi sliced off part of a Z-95 Headhunter's laser turret housing that had been thrown at him. He managed to avoid the solid metals, but the sparks that were caused by some of the components being sliced in half singed his hands. Shortly thereafter, Weliss tossed an array of tools and parts at him, and a hydrospanner connected solidly to his left knee, buckling it for a second. Then came a section of a hyperdrive that was thrown at him by Weliss, which he had to jump out of the way of, only too late to realize that the Bothan had predicted his movement, and had leapt to intercept him. He parried the Bothan's lightsaber slash, but could not stop the kick that took him full on in the stomach. The kick knocked the wind out of him and he fell, barely managing to brace himself and hold on to his lightsaber. He tried to rise back to his feet but his body failed him, and he remained on all fours, gasping for breath.

Weliss walked over to him as Sascha desperately tried to convince his body to get up. The Bothan contemptuously punted him in the ribcage, which made him fall on to his side and turn of his lightsaber, lest he impale himself with it. Weliss stared down at the crumpled Jedi, "You cannot win, Padawan, though I'll admit you put up a far greater fight than I thought you could, perhaps now I'll need to save your Master for another night." Sascha, with an effort of will, gathered himself enough to get back to all fours again, but Weliss simply walked over and crunched him with another savage kick to the ribs.

This time, Sascha didn't even try to get up, he laid still, a quiet moan escaping his lips. His lungs were on fire, his ribs were badly bruised at the least and whatever damage Weliss had done to him during their first encounter had still not fully healed. Sascha rolled over on to his back and stared at the crimson blade that was pointed directly at his chest.

"Any last words, Jedi?" taunted Weliss.

The only thing Sascha could do was glare at him and hope for a swift death.

The Bothan was not yet done mocking him however. "Perhaps, after I am finished with your Master and having fun with the citizens of Bothawui, I will find your special friend Tyra Harker. I think she might need some… comforting…that perhaps I could provide…"

Sascha felt a surge of energy from somewhere, the air came back into his lungs and he roared aloud, not so much a word, but a primal yell of emotion. He reignited his lightsaber and knocked away Weliss' blade before Weliss could react and scrambled to his feet. "Don't you dare say her name," he shouted, his voice raspy.

Weliss stared back at him, a grin on his fur lined face, "It seems that I have struck a nerve."

Sascha wasn't interesting in bandying words with Weliss. He lunged at Weliss with wild, undisciplined attacks, fueled by emotion. Wellis dodged easily. He tried again. Weliss ducked and swayed out of the way of his blade. Sascha had lost anything resembling tact and discipline. It wasn't Sascha's head that was in control of his actions. It was his heart.

Weliss watched another of his attacks sail wide. Sascha knew that he had left himself open, and that Weliss had every chance to end his life. But he didn't. Instead he continued with the verbal barbs, "Your anger will not serve you, Jedi."

"Shut up." Another swing and a miss.

Weliss shook his head, "What would your Jedi girlfriend say if she could see you now, Padawan?"

All at once, Sascha's anger dissipated. If Tyra had been here right now, she would be beyond disappointed in him, Sascha realized. His lightsaber almost fell out of his hand.

Weliss seized on his moment of internal crisis, easily knocking aside his weak defence and blasting him with a kick that caught him just underneath his chin. Sascha fell backwards and landed on his back, hard. His lightsaber rolled away from his numb hand. He blinked once, and was surprised to see that Weliss' blade was already pointed at his chest.

This time, he knew it was over.

"Any last words, Sascha Whitestar?" asked Weliss, not unkindly.

Sascha's head swam. There was nothing he could do to convince his body to do anything but lay flat on his back. " Sascha Whitestar was going to die a failure, he knew. Not only had he failed to apprehend Weliss, he had fought using the dark side. He couldn't even imagine explaining what had happened to his Master. Or Tyra. "Tyra, I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm sorry you made the wrong choice, Padawan," said Weliss.

Sascha watched helplessly as Weliss raised his blade for the killing blow.

The blade descended.

* * *

Aurine tracked her Padawan's presence in the Force like she was a Force-sensitive bloodhound. Driving her speeder with the sort of abandon that she was currently doing was much more reminiscent of her younger, wilder self. Even through her intense concentration, she could her Crem's squeals of terror as she weaved a manic path through the quiet streets of the city.

The Jedi Knight broke every traffic law on Bothawui, she was sure. Yet, even if a police officer happened to see her breaking those laws, he would have to catch her to arrest her and that was most definitely not happening.

She could feel herself getting closer and closer to her Padawan, which made her want to take more and more risks to get to him faster. Eventually, she reached a decrepit looking warehouse in the outskirts of the city. Without a doubt, she knew that her Padawan was inside, fighting for his life. Before she leapt out of the speeder she turned to Quelba and Crem, "Stay here. Don't go inside."

"You don't want our help?" asked Quelba.

"What is going on in there is something that you cannot help with. I cannot say more than that," she responded.

"You haven't been entirely honest with us, have you, Master Jedi?" said Quelba accusingly.

"I will tell you the truth when I return," she promised. "But whatever you do, do not go inside that warehouse."

Quelba glared at her, "As you wish."

Aurine didn't waste any more time bandying words with Quelba, she simply dashed out of the Speeder and into the nondescript, worn down old warehouse. She bashed her shoulder through the door side door, and almost toppled over as she made her unglamorous entrance. She searched for her Padawan's presence in the Force. Though she was sure her Padawan was in this warehouse, it was still a rather large she shouldn't have been searching for him in the Force, she should have been using her ears, she realized as Aurine heard the sounds of battle coming from halfway down the warehouse.

Aurine sprinted towards the sound of battle and found something that could have been a scene from one of her nightmares. Her Padawan was laying prone on the ground and there was a madman who had a red lightsaber pointing at his chest. Sascha looked like the fight had been driven out of him, which was such an odd thing to see from her Padawan. Sascha usually fought to the very end in sparring sessions, to see him look like he was giving up was very unlike her apprentice. But that wasn't the important thing, the important thing was to deal with Weliss. Preferably by getting Weliss as far away from her Padawan as possible.

The Force pulsed through her as she concentrated for the single most important Force push of her life. She pictured Weliss flying far, far away from her Padawan and desperately hoped that what she pictured in her mind would come to pass.

It did.

Weliss' lightsaber was descending at a rapid rate towards her unmoving Padawan. And then her Force push hit Weliss and he was sent flying away, into some of the nearby machinery.

Aurine raced forward, her legs carrying her as fast as she could move. Quickly, she reached Sascha's side. Her Padawan was slowly making his way to his feet, looking more than a little surprised to see her. Aurine gently pushed Sascha back onto his back. "Sascha, are you okay?"

Her Padawan looked toward where Weliss had been sent by her push. The Bothan was no longer in evidence. "I'm fine, now go get Weliss."

It was good advice from her Padawan. Unfortunately, she needed to get him to safety first. But she wasn't sure there was a safe place for him to be, other than by her side. "Sascha, I need you to be with me for a bit? Can you manage? Where is your lightsaber?"

Sascha pushed himself to his feet, ignoring her offer of assistance, "Not too sure I can do very much fighting, but I'm mobile. Let's end this." Sascha walked a few paces and picked his lightsaber off the ground.

"Any idea where he went?" she asked.

The booming voice of Weliss answered her, "Actually, I was just leaving."

Aurine frowned, Weliss' voice had seemed to come from no particular direction. "Didn't you want a showdown with me, Weliss?" she shouted.

"I think it will need to wait until a later date."

This time she thought that she detected where the Bothan's voice was coming from. She gestured with her head and Sascha nodded. The two Jedi moved quickly but quietly in the direction that she had indicated.

Weliss' voice continued, "You and I will have a showdown, no doubt. But I merely wanted to have a discussion with your Padawan today. Now that he's made his choice, we'll move onto something more interesting."

Aurine gripped her lightsaber tightly, Weliss was close, she thought. Sascha followed cautiously behind her, clearly moving without much of his usual grace. Weliss had certainly managed to do a number on him. For that and many more reasons, Aurine was going to enjoy bringing Weliss to justice.

Aurine peered around the corner and spotted Weliss making his escape through one of the side doors. The Bothan was bleeding from a small cut on his head, but it did not appear to be serious. Aurine dashed after Weliss, but once the Bothan saw her coming, he closed and locked the door behind him. She crashed into the door shoulder first, intending to knock it down, but only managed to bruise her shoulder badly and bounce off. Grunting she searched for the locking mechanism in the Force and when she found it, she ignited and drove her lightsaber through the device. This time when she lowered her shoulder and charged at the door, it opened.

Weliss had made his way down the street slightly, in the middle of the dilapidated warehouse district, but he was still within sprinting distance. She and Sascha raced towards Weliss, but paused when the Bothan turned and held out a hand. Weliss smiled, "Sorry I'd love to stay and chat, but I hear my speeder coming. Catch you next time, Jedi!"

"What speeder?" Sascha blurted.

As if to answer his question, a speeder driven by a single pilot came around the corner. The driver, concealed by the darkness and a facecovering, opened up on the two Jedi with a fusillade of blaster fire. Aurine and Sascha deflected the incoming fire, but could do little more but watch as Weliss back flipped effortlessly to land on top of the fast moving speeder. With Weliss secure, the speeder took off at a breakneck pace past them and into the dark of night.

Aurine shook her head. She knew that she had no chance to catch up to the vehicle, and even if she set Quelba and Crem on the chase, that Weliss could easily overwhelm the two Bothans.

"He's gone," Sascha said dejectedly. "How is he always one step ahead of us?"

Aurine embraced her Padawan in a tight hug, "We'll worry about that later. For now, it is good to have you back, Sascha."

Sometimes you just had to take the minor victories.


	33. Chapter 32: Results

**thejoker122 -** I'd rate it slightly above phyrric but not by much. Weliss still seems to hold all the cards, doesn't he?

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- There is something to be said about a simple story done well. The last second save is a boring trope if it get used too often, but it felt right to use here. I think you are right about letting chapters breathe. Sometimes I just try to cram too much content into one chapter that it ends up being jumbled. As always thanks for the great reviews.

A/N - Running late, so nothing from me!

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Results**

The next night, Aurine Brynar was outside a small room in a military hospital, waiting for Sascha to finish a conversation with Quelba. She had taken Sascha directly to the quiet, out of the way hospital after his showdown with Weliss. While her Padawan had protested that he was basically 'fine,' she had known otherwise. A quick examination by the on-base doctor had led to a quick dunk in the bacta tank for Sascha. Then after his minor cuts, bruises (and concussion) were healed, Sascha had been allowed to sleep. And Sascha had slept most of the day away, snoring softly.

Once she had seen that Sascha was safe, she too had taken a well-deserved rest. The past few days she had not slept well, but today she had slept fine, safe in the knowledge that her Padawan was not going to be taken from her any time soon. Peace had finally returned to Aurine Brynar. Temporarily.

When she had awoken, she had met with Quelba and Selan, who had been trying to find out where Weliss had had escaped to and who his mystery helper was. Traffic cameras had picked up Weliss' speeder at various points across the city, but after exiting the city proper, there had been no way to track the speeder any longer. Weliss, once again, had escaped the law. Weliss had escaped _her_.

When Sascha was woken up, Quelba insisted on being the first person to talk to Sascha, which Aurine thought was odd, but Quelba had made a good point – they were still trying to track Weliss and she was a lot more valuable to that project than he was. What she was surprised to realize was how long their chat was taking. She had assumed that Quelba and Sascha would have a quick chat, no more than ten minutes, tops, and that would be the end of it, but it had been half an hour since their conversation had started at there was still no sign of the Bothan exiting Sascha's room.

Curious at what was taking so long, she put down her datapad and walked the short distance to Sascha's room, only to see Quelba exiting the room. Quelba's expression immediately became guarded when he saw her. "Master Jedi," he said coolly, "Could I have a chat with you for a minute?"

Aurine would have really preferred to be talking to her Padawan, but she didn't want to antagonize Quelba more than she already had. "Okay, let's find an empty room." It turned out that there was a small patient recovery room nearby that was not in use. She and Quelba entered the room and closed the door, "What would you like to talk about?"

Quelba visibly composed himself. "Two things. First. You lied to us about who Weliss was. He's some sort of Jedi, right?"

Aurine winced internally, "I never lied to you about Weliss. I'm certainly guilty of withholding information regarding him though," she said.

Quelba pointedly held her gaze for a long moment, "I didn't think Jedi were supposed to deceive people they were helping with underhanded trickery. You placed me and my task force in danger, simply because you didn't want to tell us what we were up against."

She wanted to bluster right back at Quelba, but she knew that the Bothan was essentially correct. "I apologize, Captain Den'arv, but given what I know, I thought there was a chance that Weliss was conspiring with someone on the task force and I did not want to reveal anything that could have tipped an informant off. I also didn't exactly know what Weliss was. I still don't actually."

"But he's a Force user, yes?"

Aurine nodded, "Yes."

"I had Iraek spend days analyzing for ways the security system at the museum where Sascha was captured could have been manipulated!" Quelba yelled. "You knew it was a waste of time, but you let him do it anyway!"

"I am sorry that I deceived you," Aurine said honestly, "But I did it for good reasons."

Quelba's fierce brown eyes stared at her for a second longer before he looked away, "Privileges of command I guess."

"I was kind of hoping that you would understand, at the very least, being a Captain and all."

"I understand. I just sort of hoped that dealing with Jedi might somehow be different," replied Quelba.

Aurine shrugged nonchalantly, "Sorry. Can I ask you a question Quelba? Why did you spend so long talking to my Padawan a few minutes ago?"

Quelba had his back up almost immediately, but then he sighed and started walking around the small room slowly, "I don't know. I think it is because I see Sascha and he is just this contradiction that I cannot understand. Do you know what the first thing he said to me when I came in?"

Aurine shook her head.

"He asked me if I was okay. _He_ is the one laying in a hospital bed after being captured, but he was asking _me_ if _I'm okay_. And I could tell that he meant it too!"

Aurine felt pride welling in her heart, "Sascha is a kind and gentle soul and he certainly cares about the people around him. He certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone to get hurt on his behalf."

"I just can't wrap my brain around it," said Quelba. "When I think of myself at his age, I remember a very stupid young man. I only thought of myself. Rarely of others. I suppose I would have been the worst Jedi imaginable."

She nodded, "You see now why Jedi training begins at a very young age. It is not about learning powers, it is about molding young men and women into beings that can be entrusted with the sort of power that they possess. Lessons that Weliss may have forgotten, or never learned."

Quelba looked down, "I feel sorry for him, to be honest. Sascha, that is."

Aurine blinked, "You'll have to explain that one to me."

The Bothan sighed dramatically, "I just think about what sort of life that Sascha leads. The whole 'never loving' thing is probably overstated. I know plenty of people that lead happy lives that were never in love. And I know others that probably would have preferred never to have fallen in love. So it's not that. But I don't know if anyone can lead a happy life bouncing around from planet to planet, fixing problems. Sure you make a difference in people's lives...but you rarely get to see the consequences, it's always on to the next crisis. How can you live a fulfilling life like that?"

"It's quite possible you are asking the wrong person, Quelba," said Aurine with a smile.

The Bothan winced, "Yes, this is probably a touchy subject, but...for whatever reason I want the best for Sascha, so I want to know that when he leaves here he goes on and has a full life. A happy life. I don't know if it is possible, living the Jedi way."

"We all choose the life of the Jedi," said Aurine quietly. "We each have a moment where the choice is laid out in front of us, we see what we are giving up by choosing the Jedi path over a normal life. Each of us chooses to remain with the Jedi. We make that choice of our own free will, no one is ever forced to be a Jedi."

"Has this moment happened for Sascha yet?" Quelba inquired.

"No. He's not quite yet aware of all he will have to give up to be a Jedi. I could see that moment happening within the next year or so though."

"And what is he giving up?"

"Normalcy. Free will. Love. Children. Friends. Acquaintances. Possessions. The list goes on."

Quelba snorted, "It sounds like no one in their right mind should choose to be a Jedi."

"Only if you are an outsider. We are Jedi, blessed with the ability to use the Force. It is hard for anyone who grew up in the Jedi Temple to see all the good that the Jedi do in the galaxy and choose their selfishness over that. We realize what we are individually giving up, but we also provide the galaxy with so much. The needs of the many outweigh our own personal needs. For we can do what few others can."

"It sounds like are describing a burden that you carry, instead of a gift," observed Weliss.

"What is a burden in the eyes of some is a gift in the eyes of others," she replied enigmatically.

Quelba absorbed that statement silently for a long moment, "Pithy. And true, I think."

"My Master taught me that one," said Aurine. "But I need to go and check in on my Padawan. Could you kindly ensure that we are not interrupted while we are talking?"

Recognizing the dismissal, Quelba was quickly out the door, but he gave her a last, respectful nod before he exited.

* * *

Sascha Whitestar rested comfortably in his hospital bed. He still smelled like bacta. It was not an unpleasant smell, but it constantly reminded that not so long ago he had been suspended in a bacta tank. Ironically, the smell was the only reminder he had of his physical pain. He felt fine, physically speaking. Great, actually. It was like the events of the past few days had just been erased from his body.

But while he could have gotten up and started doing some stretching routines or even returning to work as part of the task force, he stayed in his bed, thinking, reflecting, and dreading an upcoming conversation with his Master. Somehow he didn't think that the upcoming conversation would be all that fun for him.

And why should it be? He asked himself. He had broken the number one rule of the Jedi Order – don't use the dark side. But he had. And why? Because Weliss had threatened harm to Tyra. It was a ridiculous statement to think about rationally. There were probably only a handful of people who knew where his best friend was, and Weliss was certainly not one of them.

The fact that he had been so irrational bothered him more than it should have. He cared for Tyra, obviously. Assigning specific words to his feelings for Tyra were not helpful. But why had it been her that had set him off? If Weliss had made that remark about Nara would have her reacted the same way? He suspected not.

Sascha was spared from having to think about the matter for any longer by the entrance of his Master. To his surprise, Aurine didn't look like she was mad at him. Disappointed? Maybe a little. It was not the combination of emotions he had been expecting.

Aurine smiled at him, "Good morning, or should I say good afternoon, Padawan."

"Hi, Master," was his unenthusiastic reply.

"How are you feeling?" asked his Master as she came and sat at the side of his medium sized bed.

"Bacta cures all."

"No residual pain or wooziness?"

"Nope."

Aurine raised her eyebrows at his increasingly curt answers, "I know that this is not exactly going to be a fun conversation for either of us, Sascha, but could we at least try to actually converse in sentences instead of just words?"

He played with his Padawan braid for a moment, "Sorry Master, but as you might imagine, I have a lot on my mind."

"We'll get to that," Aurine said, laying a hand on his back for a quick moment. "But first I want a timeline of events. Please tell me exactly what happened, step by step."

Sascha started with how he had been captured by Weliss and the first conversation with him that revolved around the Bothan's desire to 'free' him from his 'Jedi slavery.'

"And how did you feel about that conversation?" his Master prodded gently.

How did he feel about that conversation? He hadn't spent much time thinking about it at the time because his main concern had been trying to escape. Now upon escaping, he could reflect with more clarity, so he took his time in composing his response. "I think Weliss fervently believed that I could be 'saved' from the Jedi, but while the idea of being 'free' had some appeal, I decided that I'd rather have died a Jedi than try to create some other life for myself."

Aurine nodded, "I imagine that his pitch would have been more effective on some of your peers, but not on you."

Sascha had to agree, "I'm an unambitious person, Master as you well know. All I want is to be a Jedi. You can lead a Rancor to water, but you can't make him jump in. Well I didn't want to jump."

The Jedi Knight nodded easily, "Very well, what happened during your escape?"

"I fought Weliss. I lost. There isn't much more to say than that."

"It sounds like you were fortunate, Padawan," observed his Master.

"I was very fortunate, that you reached me in time. Though I did receive a bit of a beating before you arrived," he said, indicating his (formerly) injured ribs.

"I think you handled yourself fairly well, my Padawan. Except for one thing that we'll get to."

He felt his mouth twitch unintentionally, "Yeah, well, I'm less proud considering it was my fault I got captured in the first place," he said with some bitterness. "What happens now though? I assume we continue the hunt for Weliss? Has he reappeared yet?"

His Master shook her head, "Weliss has not yet chosen to reappear yet. And I believe that Weliss is Ora Kith'bek, former Jedi Initiate."

Sascha felt his eyes widen, "So he _was_ a Jedi, he wasn't lying to me."

"I can't confirm with a hundred percent certainty that Weliss is Ora, but I'm pretty sure that he is. Ora is a couple of years older than you, and a couple of years younger than me, so that is why we did not recognize him. From what I remember, he passed the Initiate trials but no Master wanted to take him to be their apprentice, so he was to be sent to the agricultural corps. He refused the assignment and left the Jedi Order altogether. It seems that Ora was a bit of a technical whizz-kid, very adept with machines and the like, which explains how he could make his own lightsaber and how he was able to defeat some of the security systems at the museums that he stole from. So we are dealing with a fallen Jedi but at least hasn't had much advanced training."

"He still kicked my butt when we duelled though. That doesn't say much about my abilities," he pointed out.

"You were previously injured and not in a great state of mind," his Master replied patiently.

"I suppose." He returned his attention to the previous question, "So Weliss was just allowed to leave the Order? We didn't keep tabs on him?"

Aurine sighed, "There is not enough Jedi in the Order to keep tabs on every Initiate or Padawan that leaves us, the vast, vast majority live simple, productive lives and forget they ever were Jedi. Initiate Ora Kith'bek wanted to be an exception to the rule, clearly."

"It just…seems so preventable. No one knew that Ora was heading down a dark path?"

"I don't know Padawan, I'm a young, very unimportant Jedi Knight, I don't know everything that happens inside the Jedi Order," his Master replied, seemingly more than a little frustrated.

"Very encouraging Master," he said sarcastically.

Aurine snorted in amusement and then got serious quickly. "So, I guess there is no more getting around this issue. When I was coming to save you I felt you give into your anger. I hate to say it Padawan, but you touched the dark side. What made you do that?"

Sascha took a deep breath, "Weliss had me beat...and then he insulted Tyra. It was like something broke deep inside of me. Suddenly, I was so angry, I just wanted to hurt Weliss. I wanted to make him take back what he said."

"It obviously didn't work," noted Aurine, her expression now as serious as he'd ever seen it.

He looked down, "No. My anger allowed me to get back up, but it didn't grant me anything beyond that. Fortunately."

"Striking down another person in anger would have been a large step to the dark side," Aurine agreed. "I have to say that I am disappointed in you, Sascha. You know better than to do what you did."

"I know," he said bitterly.

"Move over, Padawan. I want to talk about what caused this." Numbly, Sascha moved to the side of the bed and his Master slid into bed beside him, leaving some space between them, but bringing them closer together. Finally, Sascha looked at his Master, he expected her to be upset or angry with him, but she just looked at him with compassion, her green eyes held no accusations, just comfort. He still didn't know what to say though, so he just stared forward, his mind completely blank. "Sascha," Aurine said in a kind voice, pulling his head in close to her shoulder, "I always knew that you had a strong friendship with Tyra, but even I was surprised to see how strong it truly was. I know I've asked about your relationship with Tyra before, and I know you were being honest with me when you said you were just friends…but I think it is time to reevaluate that stance."

Sascha wanted to resist, wanted to pull away from the friendly embrace, wanted to deny hotly that he was attached to Tyra, but in his heart he knew that he could no longer deny the truth any longer. "Master… I think I my feelings for Tyra Harker are deeper than I thought they were," he said, each word causing its own spike of pain in his heart. "I didn't think we were doing anything wrong, we were…we are just friends, we've never kissed or anything, I always thought that was 'the line.' Obviously, I was wrong. When Weliss made those comments about her…it was like something broke deep inside me and these…emotions came out." He looked up at his Master with plaintive eyes, "I never thought I could fall to the dark side…but I did. And now I wonder what makes me so different from Ora Kith'bek, other than I have you as a Master."

Aurine aligned herself so that she stared directly at him, "First, you are nothing like Weliss, nor could you ever become like him. You are a noble, kind-hearted person who could never do what he is doing. Understood?"

Sascha hung his head, "Yes, Master, I'm sorry I even suggested such a thing…I didn't mean it."

Aurine looked at him sternly, "While what you did was wrong, it may have actually been a good experience for you. Most Jedi will hear the call of the dark side at least once over their life. Most Jedi find that one taste of the darkness is enough to ensure that they never are tempted again. Are you going to join those ranks, or do I have to worry about you?"

Sascha shook his head, "No. I'll never, ever, ever be tempted again. I swear on my life. One touch of the dark side was plenty for me."

His Master held his gaze, obviously trying to determine the truth behind his words. Sascha had meant them with every fibre of his being. He hoped his Master would realize that.

Aurine finally stopped staring into his soul and continued the conversation, "What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

Aurine nudged his elbow, "The dark side. When you were in its thrall, what was it like?"

Sascha thought back to those moments, "It felt like I had an unlimited fountain of power at my fingertips. It felt like I could do _anything_. I'd never felt anything that felt so _good_. So _right_. It was only after I realized what had happened when I felt terrible."

Aurine looked away, "The dark side is the fast and easy way. It's all a lie though. Were you faster, more powerful when you were using your anger?"

"Not in the slightest. It just felt that way."

"Master Trynith always said that the true deception of the dark side was that it promised power but never actually delivered."

He absorbed that comment, letting it sink in for a couple of moments, "I think that is true."

Aurine smiled, "Of course it's true, Master Trynith said it. Have you ever known her to be wrong?"

He shook his head. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, "I feel so stupid in making a mistake I've been warned about every day since my birth. You know, when I first woke up today I wanted to resign from the Jedi Order? I felt, and still feel, like a total failure of a Jedi"

Aurine looked slightly surprised, "I would not have let you resign."

"Why not?"

Aurine held her hands wide, "Because you are my apprentice. One mistake does not disqualify you from being a Jedi. Otherwise there would not be any Jedi in the entire Order. And besides, the way to erase a mistake is to own up to it, not to run away from it. Which is what you are doing now."

Sascha smacked his open palm into his bed. "It feels like you are wasting your time. I think you should just put me on the first ship that will take me to Coruscant and forget about me for awhile."

Aurine's expression became gentle, "Why would I abandon my Padawan when he needs me most?"

"I still feel like I'm a liability now," he said quietly.

"You are not a liability, Padawan. Sascha, you just confessed to about the most grievous thing a Jedi could do, and you did it freely and easily, without any deception. I barely had to prod you to discuss it, even though you could have easily lied about it. If that doesn't speak to your true character, I don't know what does."

Sascha wiped a tear away from his eye, "Thank you Master…I know it sounds silly, but it feels like I failed you, Master."

Aurine grabbed him firmly by both of his shoulders, "Sascha, you did not fail. You are an apprentice, in some ways you are allowed to make these sorts of mistakes, especially when you are young. But I know you Sascha Whitestar. You aren't the type of person that will fall easily to the dark side. Now that you are aware of your weakness, especially."

"So my excuse is that I'm young and stupid?"

"Young and inexperienced, is a better way to phrase it."

Sascha forced a tiny smile, "I like your way of saying it better."

Aurine reached out and ruffled his hair, "This was a misstep. I want you to make sure that you learn your lesson well though."

"I will," he promised.

Aurine rose from his bed, "We will talk about this further. For now, I think you should take it easy. Stay around the base, help out if you feel up to it. But spend some time in quiet reflection. I think it will be good for you. It will let your mind focus on doing positive work, which is what I think you need."

"I think it's a good idea to go back to work," he said uncertainly. Sascha thought he'd be happy to do anything as long as it wasn't thinking about Tyra. He pushed himself out of his bed, "Let's find ourselves a rogue Jedi," he said.


	34. Chapter 33: Meet the Press

**thejoker122 -** Quelba's an interesting one, isn't he? He's got a bit of depth to him, but I think he's, generally speaking, a straight shooter who just wants to get the job done.

 **Lord Darth Yoda** \- I have a couple of ideas for some Ahsoka, Sascha interactions down the line. Ahsoka is basically my favourite character, and I'm almost...scared to write her, she's that important to me. Though keep in mind that Ahsoka is like...4-5 years old at the current time (she was born 4 years before Episode 1). So Sascha is like 10+ years older than her. Still, I think there are some cool ways that he can interact with her (a little later). As for Tyra/Sascha/darkside - its a good point. We've seen Sascha look at what 'normal' life is like, and I don't think he found it too appealing. But maybe Tyra doesn't feel the same? She's probably got a lot of time to think about such things.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** I too, love Sascha and Aurine's relationship. He's still very much 'the learner' right now, but as he comes into his own, you'll see little sparks of him becoming an adult. As for the dark side - I see it like touching the hot stove as a kid - you do it once, and you damn sure don't do it again. I don't think Sascha's in trouble of falling to the dark side - he's too good a person, fundamentally speaking. I think you hit on an interesting point with Ora(Weliss) and its that...he's right to be pissed at the Jedi. We'll see some of his specific grievances in the next chapter.

A/N - Nothing from moi.

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are deeply appreciated, they are the little spark that keeps pressuring me to do better and write more.

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Meet the Press**

With her Padawan in tow, Aurine went back to the room where Quelba's task force had set up shop. The room that they had commandeered was a cafeteria that was currently under renovation. As it was the weekend on Bothawui, there were no workers in the half-renovated cafeteria, so it was a good, quiet (if dusty) space to work from. The task force had simply cleaned off a few of the trestle tables and set up their electronics in the room. It was a bit rustic looking, but it wasn't like they needed holoprojectors or advanced electronics at the moment. Right now it seemed like they were just in a holding pattern, waiting for Weliss to make his next move.

No one seemed to notice her return, but when Crem noticed that Sascha was also walking in, the jovial Bothan bounced out of his seat and came to see Sascha, a delighted smile on his face. "Sascha, you are back!" Crem punched Sascha lightly on the shoulder, "Welcome back to the team. You can't get out of work that easily you know!"

Sascha smiled weakly, "It's good to be back with all of you," he said quietly.

"We can save the joyous reunions for later," she said. "For now, we have a presentation to pay close attention to, considering Weliss is still on the loose." While Aurine didn't exactly love to play the stern taskmaster, she wanted to keep the task force focused on what it needed to be doing. Also, she was pretty sure that Sascha wasn't in the mood to be the centre of attention so she was trying to deflect attention away from him as well. Who said the job of a Jedi Knight was supposed to be easy, she thought to herself,

Quelba, fortunately, took up her meaning instantly, and nodded to Strask Eshka'ia, "Why don't you get right into your presentation, Strask."

The middle-aged Bothan who, oddly for a psychiatrist, had a very obvious military bearing, strode stood from his chair, "I'll just present from here if it's okay. I don't have any visual aids."

Quelba nodded, "We're being a bit informal today, so however you want to present is up to you, Strask."

Strask took the acknowledgement in stride, "I've managed to prepare a much more detailed profile of our target, thanks to an in-depth conversation our esteemed Jedi colleague. For the purposes of this profile, I am going to assume that Master Brynar is correct, and that Weliss is indeed the former Jedi Initiate Ora Kith'bek."

"A rogue Jedi, how delightful," said Liska Vulk'ok, born cynic and obviously no friend of the Jedi. Noticing Liska's hostility towards both her and her Padawan, Aurine had quietly done her own investigation into the task force's sole female member. What she had found was that Liska simply didn't like authority – Quelba revealed that Liska had been in line for promotion several times, only to be passed over for more personable Bothans. Ironically, this had only seemed to make her more bitter and anti-authority. Liska was nothing more than a profoundly talented, profoundly sour person, and nothing more malicious than that.

"That just makes it more of a challenge," retorted Crem, who was essentially the polar opposite of Liska. Crem was upbeat, charismatic and affable.

"Maybe the Jedi should be cleaning up their own problems," said Liska throwing a pointed glance in her direction.

Aurine answered calmly, "I intend to do the heavy lifting, but Jedi work best when they are working with a team of talented people around them."

"And that would be us, I suppose?"

"I thought that would be obvious," Aurine replied.

Crem snickered loudly, "Come on Liska, lighten up will ya? This will be a story you get to tell all your grandkids." Crem made his voice into a parody of an old grandmother, "'Did I tell you the story about how I tracked down a dangerous rogue Jedi and caught him single handed?'"

Sascha, Quelba and the rest of the team were all laughing surreptitiously. Liska looked at the rest of the task force, "I'm glad that someone finds this funny, because I sure don't."

"Maybe we should just let Strask continue?" suggested Quelba.

Liska waved her hand and rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Thank you," said Strask, without missing a beat. "As I was saying, the following analysis comes from assuming that Weliss is really a Jedi that was let go from the Jedi Temple. With this new information, I can finally put together a psychological profile of Weliss. We know that Jedi are taken from their families from when they are very young and trained rigorously to become Padawans and then Knights. However, inevitably, some are not cut out for the Jedi life..."

"Can't imagine why that would be," said Liska sardonically.

"Enough, Liska," warned Quelba.

Liska unhappily rapped her fingers against the table, but said nothing.

"Anyways, as I was saying," said Strask wearily, "It appears that Weliss is carrying out something of a grudge against the Jedi. His thefts now make more sense in context, Weliss was only trying to create a situation where Jedi would be sent to Bothawui to intervene. He doesn't seem to be interested in anything past that. Weliss has also managed a rare feat, he has apparently managed to gain access to the communications being sent to and from the Jedi Temple. Whether that indicates that there is a leak from within the Jedi ranks or something else is beyond my expertise and the scope of this mission."

"The good news," continued Strask, "Is that Weliss does not appear to be a violent criminal...at least to those that are not Jedi. While he did indeed take Padawan Whitestar captive, Weliss did nothing more than...shall we say, attempt to indoctrinate him, rather than doing anything more nefarious. So he seems to want to keep his focus solely on the Jedi, likely because he blames the Jedi for ruining his life."

"I feel so honoured," Sascha muttered quietly.

Quelba interrupted, "I think we understand all of this Strask, why don't you tell us your conclusions."

Strask nodded, his manner stiff, "Certainly. With Weliss suffering something of his first defeat, I have a couple of possibilities as to what his next move will be."

Aurine nodded, "Lets hear them."

"The first, is that he licks his wounds and goes home, stays quiet. The first sign of this would be him releasing the two hostages that he still has – the two guards from the Ranek Gra'lya House. He would then stay hidden, likely until our task force is disbanded due to lack of results. The second, and I think most likely, is that he does something dramatic and public, possibly attempting to soil the reputation of the Jedi while he does so. If Weliss is attempting to wage a one man war against the Jedi, then there is no better way to attack then through the media. He could present himself as someone who has been legitimately damaged by the Jedi, and the way they conduct business. It's these sort of stories that can do real damage to the reputation of the Jedi Order as a whole."

She shrugged languidly, "I believe you are overestimating the damage that Weliss could do. Some may be swayed to thinking that we are an Order that brainwashes their Initiates, but the Jedi have been around for a thousand generations, we can withstand one negative news story."

Strask stiffened, if at all possible, "I would suggest that the Jedi's reputation is not as infallible as it may seem, given their close relationship with the rather unpopular Senate. Support for the Jedi Order is polling the lowest it has in years, though, admittedly, it is still rather high."

She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement of Strask's point. "How exactly do you think Weliss will go about conducting his campaign through the media?"

Strask smiled slightly, "I have a couple of ideas..."

At that moment a young Bothan wearing the dress of a Private in the Bothan Defence Corps burst in. Quelba rose from his seat, "Can I help you, Private?"

The young Private snapped into a precise salute, "Sir, I was told that you should put on the Central Entertainment News channel."

Quelba's face scrunched in confusion, "The Central Entertainment News Channel? I have a few more important things to attend to than watch some idiot blather on about celebrity news."

The hair was beginning to raise on Aurine's arms, "I think we should do as the young man says, Quelba."

Quelba blinked a couple of times, "Sure, why not. Does anyone have a commercial datapad with Holonet access?"

"I think those are banned on base, Captain," said Crem. "Something about people being distracted by the temptations of the Holonet."

Aurine pulled out her datapad, "Our datapads should get the Holonet here on Bothawui. Someone else will have to put on the correct channel."

Crem came over and started pressing buttons on her datapad. After a couple of presses, a news anchor popped onto the screen. With another press of a button, the datapad projected that image in 3D so the entire task force could all see as they crowded around the table.

The youthful Bothan anchor looked gravely into the camera, "I'm being told by my producers that we are going to do something unusual. We are going to go to Dalet Gran'xa, who has a pre-taped interview with an unnamed guest. We would like to warn our viewers that the content of this interview has not been vetted, by request, and therefore we do not take responsibility for what is being shown."

Sascha looked at her worriedly, "This isn't going to be good, is it, Master?"

She shook her head, "We don't know if this is related to Weliss." But in her heart she already knew that it was.

The scene shifted to what looked like a well to do house, the furniture that she could see was rather expensive, all old looking woods and top brand electronics. On screen was a handsome but disheveled looking male Bothan, who was obviously operating some sort of handheld camera, as the picture was rather shaky. The Bothan was sitting at what appeared to be his kitchen table, dressed in his sleepwear. He spoke in a calm, clear tone, "This is Joras Rat'yar, of CENC. I've been awoken in my home here by an intruder. He has told me that will do me no harm as long as I do what he says, and I believe him."

The disheveled Bothan looked into the camera, "I am to conduct an interview, like the ones I usually do for our planet's celebrities for the man that has broken into my home. But I feel like you are not here to become famous, are you?"

The camera turned, revealing who was sitting across from the reporter. It was Weliss, sitting languidly in a chair, seeming rather unconcerned about the unusual circumstances of this 'interview.' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sascha wince at the reveal. Aurine wasn't surprised by the reaction, she doubted very much that her Padawan wanted to confront Weliss again.

Weliss began to speak, folding his hands in front of him, letting them rest on the table, "Thanks Joras. No, I'm not interested in fame or fortune. I'm here to tell a story."

"Obviously this must be a very important story for you, if you were willing to go to such...extreme lengths to get this interview," said Joras in a level tone.

"Yes, and I do apologize for breaking into your lovely home," said Weliss in a conciliatory tone.

"He plays well to the camera," muttered Quelba.

"Would you mind telling me how you managed to enter my home? I'm sure the makers of my security system will want to know as well."

A slight gleam entered Weliss' eyes, "Well, ah, you see, I am, or was, a Jedi."

"Was?"

Weliss nodded, "Yes. My name at birth was Ora Kith'bek. I was taken to the Jedi Temple when I was young. I do not even remember my birth parents." Weliss looked away from the camera, seeming reflective, "I would like to say that I excelled in my studies, but that would not be the truth. I chafed under the rules of the Jedi. For the Jedi are among the least open minded people in the galaxy."

Joras scoffed loudly, "I can't decide which of your statements is the most outlandish."

"It is true," said Weliss earnestly. The Bothan bent down and removed something from under his clothes and dropped it onto the table with a 'thunk.'

"That looks like a lightsaber," said Joras, stunned.

"It _is_ a lightsaber," said Weliss, picking it off the table and igniting the red blade. "I had to give mine up when I left the Jedi, but I never forgot the schematics that they drilled into my head. It was a simple matter to build myself another one after I left the Order." Weliss disengaged the blade.

"May I ask why you left the Jedi?"

"It was a number of factors," said Weliss slowly, "Ultimately, I felt that the Jedi had become too stagnant in their thinking. There was no room for the views of outsiders or those who challenged conventional thinking. I think the simple truth is that the Jedi have become weak and complacent. They are too afraid to open their eyes and see the truth."

"And what truth is that?" inquired Joras.

"That there is more than one way to see the Force, more than one dogma that exists. The truth is what the Jedi do is barbaric. They take children from their parents in indoctrinate them. And they don't care what happens if they don't pass their precious training! When I left the Jedi, I was given nothing more than a few credits to take me off world and some 'wise' words about how valuable the time I spent at the Jedi Temple was! Tell me, does that seem fair to you?" raged Weliss.

"That isn't really for me to say," said Joras, "The Jedi manage their own internal affairs, as they have for a thousand years."

"But why don't people stand up for the injustices that are being perpetrated," asked Weliss pleadingly. "It is too late for me, my life is a shambles. I am a Bothan without a clan, without a family. I am nothing, except a failed Jedi. My childhood was filled by the Jedi brainwashing me into their cult, now I have no way to integrate into a normal life. How do I undo the damage they did to me? Where is the support for psychiatrists? Where is the outreach from the Jedi, checking in on how I'm doing? Am I not owed at least that?"

"It does seem like the Jedi should do more for those that leave the order," agreed Joras.

All around Aurine there were some subtle nods from the other Bothan members of the task force. Aurine half agreed, people like Weliss, who were more or less fully trained when he left the Jedi were far too dangerous to just let go into the wild of the galaxy and never keep track of.

"Well, I have to tell you that I think the Jedi Order has gotten wind of what I was about to do, because just a few days ago I ran into a Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar and her Padawan. I fought with her apprentice, but managed to escape. I'm pretty sure that they are working with the First Secretary Den'arv, as well."

"Oh come on..." said Sascha.

Joras shifted forward, "So you allege that the Jedi are trying to silence you?"

Weliss nodded vigorously, "Absolutely. This is why I have to take such precautions to get my message out."

"Do you have any proof of this?" asked Joras.

Weliss smiled, "Of course." The ex-Jedi produced a small holographic emitter and turned it on. The hologram showed Weliss and Sascha duelling with lightsabers. Her apprentice's expression was one of wild rage as he swung and missed with wild blows against Weliss. While she had known that Sascha had fallen to the dark side, briefly, watching it actually happen was something else. It was quite shocking to see her calm, quiet Padawan losing his mind in combat.

Sascha went pale, stood from his seat and shambled away from the table. She was torn between watching the end of the broadcast and going to comfort her obviously emotional Padawan. She decided that Sascha could tough it out for a few more minutes.

The clip played for a few seconds, enough to establish that the two were fighting and then Weliss closed down the holoprojector. "I managed to extricate myself from that duel. Thankfully I did not have to harm the Padawan."

"I think he would appreciate that," Joras replied.

"I don't think he appreciated it at the time," said Weliss, "Young Jedi generally tend to be rather hard headed. Actually I think most Jedi are rather obtuse when it comes to people challenging their way of life."

Aurine clenched and un-clenched her fists as a physical way of reducing the tension that she was feeling.

"Is there any words you would like to say to these two Jedi, and the other Jedi of the Jedi Order?"

Weliss straightened, "Yes. To Aurine Brynar - leave me alone. The Jedi had me for fourteen years of my life, my debt to your Order has been paid. Let me lead the rest of my life alone. To my former Jedi colleagues, I want you to open your eyes and look around. Ask if the life you are leading really suits you. Remember that the Jedi Council cannot control you – if you want to leave an enjoy your life, I encourage you to do so. Life outside of the Jedi is difficult but rewarding. You at least owe yourself a taste of freedom."

"Powerful words," mused Joras, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Weliss smiled in a self-depreciating manner, "I think that is quite enough from me. I must be taking my leave now. Thank you for the interview, sir." The ex-Jedi extended a hand.

Joras shook it, "Good luck Ora Kith'bek. May the Force be with you."

Weliss shook his head sadly, "I wish it never was."

The transmission ended and the picture returned to the gravely anchor. "You've just seen a CENC exclusive interview between long-time reporter Joras Rat'yar and former Jedi Ora Kith'bek. Mister Kith'bek appeared to have strong words for the Jedi Order, and we will of course ask for the Jedi to comment on his accusations."

"Turn it off," commanded Quelba.

Crem turned an eye towards his commander, "You don't want to see what else they say?"

Quelba's fur ruffled, "Not particularly."

Aurine turned around to check on her Padawan. As she expected, Sascha was sitting on the ground, not far away, staring blankly at the wall. "I'll be right back," she said to the other members of the task force.

The Jedi Knight sat across from her Padawan, who acknowledged her with a curt nod. "That was pretty much disastrous, wasn't it?"

"If Weliss thinks he's the first former Jedi to air his grudges on live television, he'd be wrong. The Jedi Order is a bit too timeless for any one event to be 'disastrous' for us."

Sascha stared at the floor, "That...recording he had of us fighting...I'm so ashamed by it. It looks like _I'm_ the madman, not him. And now everyone is going to see it. I'm never going to live it down."

Aurine toyed with how honest she wanted to be, and settled on full honesty, "Nor should you. Your mistakes should never allowed to be forgotten. I don't know if I could have asked for a more powerful reminder of why you shouldn't use your anger."

"That's a very optimistic way of looking at things."

"You have to be able and look at your life optimistically," she said. "If you always dwell on your flaws, on your mistakes, on your missed opportunities then you will become a bitter, bitter person. But if you look on the bright side of life, you can become the force of change that you want to be."

Her Padawan thought about what she had said for a couple of moments. Then he looked up at her and smiled slightly, "I can't wait until I'm as old and wise as you are, Master."

"Hey, I'm _not_ old," she joked.

Sascha smiled a little at that comment, but looked down again soon after, "It's just all my fault. If I had captured Weliss, none of this would have happened."

She reached out and rubbed Sascha's shoulder lightly, "Come on, it's not all bad. At least we have a lead on Weliss now."

He sighed, "The reporter."

"Exactly."

Sascha nodded, "If its okay with you, I just want to sit here and reflect for a while. I think that Quelba wants you to rejoin he task force though."

Quelba indeed was not so subtly trying to indicate that she should come over. 'It's the First Secretary' he mouthed.

"Okay. I'll go back. I might need your help though." Aurine ruffled Sascha's hair slightly before picking herself up and heading towards a conversation that she was sure was going to be rather unpleasant.

The joys of the life of a Jedi, thought Aurine. Dealing with ex-Jedi with a grudge, a head of state that will want answers that she could not provide and an apprentice who was growing up at an alarmingly fast rate. All in a days work...


	35. Chapter 34: Going Rogue

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- The Dark Knight was absolutely an inspiration for that scene, though I wasn't particularly interested in recreating that scene. Certainly there are a bunch of people that could be working with Weliss.

A/N - We are entering the home stretch now! Crazy as it seems, but this one is reaching its conclusion sooner rather than later. It's going to be a heck of a ride though. Me, I'm looking forward to book three already, and trying to polish it up, even though its months away from being seen (crazy, eh).

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your reviews, follows and favourites are appreciated

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Going Rogue  
**

"This is a disaster!" said Evert Den'arv, First Secretary of Bothawui, through a comlink set to speaker mode, "I thought that you were close to apprehending this criminal, this terrorist, this ex-Jedi…and now this?"

Aurine and Quelba had excused themselves from the briefing to take the call. Predictably, Evert was irate at the interview that Weliss had just completed. It seemed like the First Secretary was not thrilled at being mentioned as someone who was working with the Jedi to silence him.

Nonetheless it was currently her job to mollify Evert. "We are making progress towards catching Weliss, First Secretary," she said in a level tone.

"I don't care about progress! I need results...I need to...distance myself from this," said Evert almost to himself.

"First Secretary," started Quelba, "You need to be patient. We'll find Weliss and bring him to justice, returning all the precious artifacts that he has stolen. We've had more results in the few days we've been in place than the weeks that you gave to the Police investigators. We just need more time."

"That is all good and well for you to say, Captain Den'arv," Evert said acidly, "But you don't have to answer questions from the press about what role you are playing in the 'unjust' pursuit of Ora Kith'bek."

"Can't you just say that we are pursuing him because he's a wanted criminal?" asked Quelba.

"And when the media asks what his crime was, simply reveal that he's stolen a cache of our most priceless artifacts?" said Evert incredulously. "Do you think that will make the situation better? I'd suggest that it would look like I'm trying to deflect blame, as well as revealing what I've been very much been trying to keep secret this last month."

"Sir, would it really be so hard to tell the truth?" said Quelba.

"Always!"

Exasperated, Quelba walked away from the comlink.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Aurine, simply as a means of continuing the conversation.

"Well unless you have a time machine where I can go back and undo all of this, I highly doubt it," said Evert bitterly.

"I'm not sure I can help you there, First Secretary."

"I suppose not," Evert said in the tone of a defeated man, "I just wanted my year as First Secretary to be productive, but now I fear, I'll only be remembered for these events. I mean it wouldn't have been so bad if this Weliss had not had the footage of him being attacked by what looked like a stark raving mad Jedi. But the visual he has is just so effective. I wonder, actually, if he has been planning this with one of my political rivals..."

"I highly doubt that," said Aurine, "I believe that this is a personal grudge that Weliss is carrying out. I don't think he cares at all about the politics of Bothawui. The jab at you was likely just to weaken the support of our allies. And it seems he was successful."

Quelba shot her a smile at that last remark, seeming to appreciate her directness. "I agree with Jedi Brynar. We leave the politics of this to you, but we need just a little more time to catch Weliss. That should be our one and only concern. Just give us the time we need."

"That is easy for you to say, cousin," retorted Evert, "Your feet aren't going to be roasted by the press in twenty minutes."

An idea struck Aurine, "First Secretary, I believe I have a way out of this for you. Politically, at least."

Evert sighed, "And what is that, Master Jedi?"

"Disown us. Deny that you ever involved the Jedi with the hunt for Weliss. We'll leave the task force entirely. That way you will have plausible deniability."

Across from her Quelba's fur started ruffling wildly in distress, "That is a terrible idea, what would make you suggest that?"

"Because it would be the first unexpected thing we have done this entire investigation," said Aurine. "Let's face it. Weliss was, essentially, a Jedi. He knows the way that we operate – we like to secure local assistance and rely on them for expertise. That is exactly what we've done here. Jedi also tend to be more reactive than proactive. Again, this is what we've done here. We are playing into his hands completely. It's time to flip the script. And this is a way to do it."

Quelba still looked a bit stunned, but Evert's voice came through the speaker, "It's a bold plan, Master Jedi. I, obviously support it for political reasons. Are you comfortable in going alone? I won't be able to offer you support."

She bowed her head fractionally, "You've been very generous with your time and your support First Secretary, but the more I think about it, the more at home with the decision I become. This is a Jedi matter. Jedi should handle it."

"And I suspect more Jedi are on their way to Bothawui at the moment," mused Quelba. "If worse came to worse, we could always reform the task force with the new Jedi that arrive."

"I have had no contact with the Jedi Temple, but I would certainly suspect that with the message I sent them, that they will send at least one experienced Jedi Knight." Aurine suspected that the video that Ezah (hopefully) had delivered to the Jedi Temple would have rated a small team of at least four Jedi, led by a Jedi Master. The Jedi Order treated attacks by Force users on one of their own rather seriously. It was just a matter of getting those Jedi from Coruscant to Bothawui, a trip that was going to take several days of travel time, as she knew from experience.

"Very well," said Evert. "Master Jedi, you are fired. Good luck on your own. May the Force be with you." There was a short pause, "Though I understand I have been difficult, I thank you for your service to Bothawui."

"It was and will continue to be our pleasure, First Secretary."

"Cousin, I want you to continue your work on finding and retrieving the stolen artifacts, without, of course, the help of the Jedi," said Evert.

"We shall keep on it, First Secretary."

"I'll leave you to it then."

The comlink clicked off.

Quelba stood before her, "Well you've certainly gone and done it now, Master Jedi."

Aurine smiled slightly, "Its a drastic move, I agree. But one that is necessary."

"Well, if you'd like, I can certainly keep you informed of what I'm doing on my end," said Quelba in a conspiratorial tone.

"That will not be necessary," said Aurine gently. "I meant what I said to the First Secretary, me and my Padawan will be acting alone."

Quelba's face scrunched, and his fur rippled in distress, "So you mean to go after Weliss alone? Without anyone knowing what you are doing?"

"That's the idea."

Quelba shook his head harshly, "I really don't understand why you are doing this. Is it something I've done?"

She reached up and readjusted her ponytail, "It has nothing to do with you or anyone connected to the task force. It's about breaking the wheel of predictability in the most unpredictable way possible. Weliss has us playing by a script. I need to flip it."

Quelba lowered his snout for a moment, "Very well, it certainly is not for me to argue with you. I will kindly ask you and Sascha to leave this military installation as soon as you find it convenient."

"We'll be out of your fur shortly," she said. "I do want to thank you for your service, Quelba Den'arv. You are the sort of ally every Jedi hopes to find when they are assigned a mission. Someone dutiful, and loyal to a fault. Someone who puts the mission first."

Quelba bowed politely, "Thank you for the compliment, but...no offense, but I am more partial to your Padawan," Quelba said with a laugh.

"I suppose I have to appreciate your honesty. I think our paths will cross again, Captain Den'arv."

"I hope they do," said Quelba. "May the Force be with you, Master Jedi."

* * *

"Can you tell me again what exactly we are doing?" asked Sascha Whitestar.

If Aurine was in his place, she'd was certain that she'd feel similarly. She and her Padawan were travelling in a speeder towards one of the most affluent sections of Drev'starn. Aurine was sure the merchant who she had rented this speeder from was still calling his friends to say that he had just rented a speeder to a pair of Jedi. She doubted that anyone would believe him.

"We are going to pay a visit to a reporter," she said.

"But...without making an appointment?" Sascha looked around, "It's like...nighttime. He will probably be asleep?"

"Well, we are going to show up uninvited. In fact, we are going to break in," she said.

Sascha nodded slowly, "This is just a test right? A test to show how long I'll let my Master make irrational decisions? Because I'm pretty close to trying to stop you right now."

She smiled at her apprentice, "Don't worry, I'm completely rational. I'll explain later if you want, though I suppose why I'm doing things this way will become obvious fairly soon."

Sascha evaluated her, and then apparently upon deciding that she was serious, he lapsed into silence, only staring out the window of the speeder as she drove. Her Padawan was not exactly himself at the moment, but he was handling himself reasonably well, all things considered. However, he'd seemed to have lost that little bit of impishness to his character since being taken hostage by Weliss. Aurine couldn't remember if he'd cracked a joke since he'd come back. Rehabilitating Sascha's sense of humor could come later though, right now she needed to focus on Weliss.

When she was sure that she was within walking distance of her destination, she pulled her speeder over to the side of the road and parked. "Come on, we are walking the rest of the way."

Dutifully, Sascha hopped lightly out of the speeder. He looked around for a moment, "I think we are dressed wrong to be in this neighborhood."

It was true, if anyone saw them wandering the streets of the incredibly affluent neighborhood, they were going to stick out like a sore thumb. However, the nice thing about affluent neighborhoods, Aurine knew, was that they generally were rather quiet at this time of night – very few rich people were up walking around late at night. Luck was with the Jedi that night, as they made their way to their destination unspotted.

Joras Rat'yar's house was a three story building pretty much indistinguishable from any of the other houses that lined this street. It had a beautiful, well maintained front lawn, with many different flowers in full bloom, currently slightly shrouded by the dark of Bothawui's night.

But one could not fail to notice the most obvious thing that marked it as Joras Rat'yar's home. It was the pair of guards that was patrolling just inside the front entrance to his house. Neither guard seemed to be particularly alert, but if there were two guards on the outside, that probably meant there was probably another guard inside the houseas well. Aurine didn't blame Joras for hiring security the day after he had his home invaded. It just made her life more difficult.

"Uh, so what's the plan?" inquired Sascha, as the two of them slunk into a small section of shrubbery that allowed them a good vantage point.

Aurine evaluated the various options and then settled on the simplest one, "We're going to convince the guards to let us past them."

"Uh...brilliant plan, Master."

Aurine rolled her eyes, "We are going to use the Force, Padawan. Do you want to try using your mind trick skills in the field?"

Sascha visibly wilted, "No, Master. I'm not very good at using the Force to influence people to begin with, and I'm not exactly in a great state of mind right now either."

"Fair enough." While she wanted Sascha to get used to practicing influencing people through the Force, this wasn't exactly the time to practice. She started purposely strolling towards Joras' house. It didn't take long for the two Bothan guards to point her and her Padawan out and come and stop them from getting too close to Joras' house.

"Ma'am this area is off limits at this time, we kindly ask that you and your son return to..."

Aurine seemingly unconcerned, just reached out with the Force slightly and touched the first Bothan's mind, "You will let us through. We are expected." Aurine just pushed just slightly on the Bothan's mind, just enough for him to forget what he was supposed to be doing and let her mind dominate his, just for a moment, just to let her one thought pass through.

"I will let you inside," the first Bothan guard droned, his posture straightening, "You are expected."

The second guard was an observant one, as he immediately moved in front of his colleague and put his hand out, just stopping in front of her chest, "I'm sorry...my partner is mistaken..."

Aurine repeated the mind trick, just putting a little bit of pressure on the second guard's mind, "Your partner is correct, we are expected inside."

The second guard was a little more formidable, but with a little mental push, she was able to get him to see her way, "I'll let you inside," he droned.

Aurine and her Padawan simply walked past the two guards and into the house. A guard on the inside of the house fell prey to a similar trick, and with another Force suggestion in his mind, the third guard was convinced to go outside and wait with his companions.

Aurine found Joras sitting at his lavish kitchen table. The Bothan was dressed for bed, wearing nice looking, colourful pajamas, while reading a datapad. "Good evening, Joras Rat'yar,"

Joras startled badly upon hearing her voice, and the Bothan actually reached into the folds of his pyjamas, withdrawing a small holdout blaster. Aurine reacted instantly, using the Force to yank the blaster out of Joras' hands. The Bothan watched in amazement as his blaster flew from his hand to hers. Then he sat back down in his chair, placing his hands onto the tabletop, "Aurine Brynar I presume."

"Yes."

"I was told to expect you, but not exactly in this way." Joras waved at the empty seats at the kitchen table, "Might as well make yourselves comfortable. I assume you incapacitated my guards?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said as she sat across from Joras. Sascha sat quietly as well, pulling the seat towards him so that he could be closer to her.

Joras evaluated both Jedi. "Weliss said that you'd come to talk to me today. He said that you would come with your Padawan and a couple of Bothans. I see that he was half right."

"Well you know what they say about predicting the future, if you got it half right, you got it half wrong," she said.

A smile appeared on Joras' middle-aged features, "Very true, Master Jedi. I assume you'd like to talk to me about last night?"

She nodded, "Please."

Joras settled in, "I was awoken around this time yesterday night, which is probably why I couldn't fall asleep yet tonight," he said ruefully. "Anyways, I was awoken by two people. One was Weliss. The other was his...lackey, helper? I don't know. I didn't get much of a look at her, but I could tell she was female by her voice. Voice seemed a bit young too."

"Interesting," Aurine murmured. She was thinking back to the speeder on which Weliss had escaped on. Could Weliss have a partner in crime? And who would even want to align themselves with someone like Weliss? He probably wasn't offering money, and she doubted that there were too many people in the galaxy that wanted revenge against the Jedi. Love then, she decided. Powerful men always attracted their share of female followers, regardless of species.

"Everything else was about as you'd expect," said Joras. "He said that I needed to call my producers and tell them to play the upcoming interview without edits, or he'd kill me." The Bothan held her gaze, "I am not an easy man to intimidate. While now I work at an entertainment news company, my early years were spent investigating corruption on Bothawui. I made powerful enemies, had threats made against my life. But this...this was the only time I really feared for my life."

"I am sorry," she said honestly. "Weliss does not represent the Jedi Order, he's...lost his way, and is lashing out against those that he thinks hurt him, and he's not above using others to get his way."

"I've noticed," said Joras dryly.

"So you know that it is imperative that you tell us everything that you know."

Joras smiled slightly, "And that, Master Jedi, would be where you are wrong. While I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of finding Ora Kith'bek, Weliss...whatever he wants to call himself... I'm not entirely sure I want him to be turned over to the Jedi. Do you mind telling me what you'll do with him if you capture him?"

"I don't know, to be honest," said Aurine. "What I know is that he's dangerous. He took my Padawan hostage. He's stolen things of massive cultural value to all Bothans, and I don't know what he's going to do next. At a certain point, thinking about what is going to happen to someone after they are caught becomes secondary to catching them in the first place."

"Quite a few accusations you've thrown out there," said Joras evenly. "I wouldn't be much of a journalist if I didn't ask you if you have proof of any of that."

Aurine froze for a split-second. Weliss had been able to prove his accusations when challenged, but she was summarily short of evidence. She couldn't even prove that Sascha had been kidnapped. All of his bumps and bruises had been healed by his stint in the bacta tank.

"Isn't being Jedi enough for you to take us at our word?" asked Sascha quietly.

The Bothan journalist turned his attention to her Padawan, "Unfortunately, in my line of work, anyone who says 'just trust me' is probably not to be trusted."

Sascha put his head down and lapsed into silence again.

"I think that leaves us at something of an impasse," she said.

Joras shrugged, "Maybe we can return to the original question. What will you do if you find Weliss?"

She hesitated, "I am only a minor Jedi Knight, and what I say may or may not be true, but I believe that the Jedi will try to rehabilitate Weliss. Make him come back to the light."

"And if he does not wish to do so?"

"Then he'll be detained." She held a hand out beseechingly, "you should understand why that would be necessary. Weliss is powerful, and if he wants to get something done, he can likely do it. I understand that this sounds...callous, and maybe it is, but when people have powers like ours, you lose some of your rights."

Joras pushed himself out of his chair and paced slowly over to a near state-of-the-art caf dispenser and ordered himself what appeared to be a new cup of caf. "I can sense your earnestness, Master Jedi. But an experienced a journalist like myself can see the other side of the story." The Bothan took his new cup of caf and sat back down at the kitchen table. "You see yourselves as doing good right now – trying to bring someone that you perceive as dangerous to justice. However a different interpretation of your actions would be this – Weliss is merely a young man that wants to avoid being scooped up by a powerful cult that he escaped. And tonight, you and your not-yet-a-legal-adult apprentice violated my privacy and my security by disabling my guards, and now you want me to help you. "

Sascha stirred slightly at that slightly uncharitable reading of the situation, but he wisely said nothing. Aurine simply shrugged, "As you said, there is always two sides to a story. But a good journalist knows how to find the truth in between the two competing stories."

A gleam enters Joras' eyes, "Very good, Master Jedi."

"Now," she said, putting both of her hands on the table, "You have something of importance to tell me. I'd like to know what it is."

"Are you reading my mind, Master Jedi?"

She let a small smile play on her face, "No. I'm afraid that even if I tried to read your mind, I'd fail. You happen to be rather strong-willed you know." It was a half-truth. Joras did have a strong will, but if push came to shove, she was fairly certain that she could get what she wanted from him. The other thing she knew was that Joras absolutely had crucial information...but that he wasn't going to give it to them without passing whatever test this was.

Joras rapped a clawed hand on the table, "And if I decide that my journalistic and personal ethics prevent me from telling you what I know?"

"We will leave rather disappointed. I might even let your guards rough us up on the way out as penance for what we did to them."

"I didn't agree to that," Sascha quipped.

"You were volunteered," she said.

"Darn," said Sascha, a hint of his old sarcastic self reappearing for a moment.

Joras watched the interplay between Master and Padawan with interest, "I have the information you are looking for," the Bothan allowed. "But I do not think I can give it to you."

Sascha looked disappointed, but she kept her face neutral, "Then we won't waste any more of your time. Thank you." She stood, and headed for the door, her Padawan following close behind her.

She didn't very far when Joras said, "Wait. I'll tell you what I know."

Aurine hid a smile, turned and retook her seat at the table, "Thank you, Joras."

The middle-aged Bothan leaned back in his chair, "As I said, I was an investigative reporter for many years before I took a much easier job at with my current employers. But you never really stop being an investigative journalist."

"And what have you learned?"

"Weliss may be a former Jedi, but Jedi are not omniscient." A smile budded on Joras' face, "I put a tracer on Weliss' robe when he wasn't paying attention."

Sascha's mouth dropped open, "Is it working? Do you know where he is?"

Joras nodded, "I'll give you the frequency it broadcasts on."

Aurine bowed her head, "Thank you, that will be extremely helpful. But you probably shouldn't have taken that risk, Joras."

"Probably not," he agreed. Joras took out his datapad and allowed both she and Sascha to input the tracer into their datapads. Sure enough, the current coordinates of the tracer showed an area of Bothawui that was about a few hours drive by speeder away. The simple tracer didn't offer anything more than just coordinates, but it would be enough, hopefully, to find Weliss."

"We got a break in the case," Sascha said, amazed.

"He could have discarded his robe at any point," Joras said modestly.

"We'll take any break in the case we can get," she said, putting her datapad back on her belt. "We really must be going now, the longer we wait, the higher chance that Weliss finds the tracer, or loses his cloak."

Joras held his hands up, "Don't let me keep you." He paused, "Do you know why I tested you like I did, Master Jedi?"

She nudged Sascha, "Padawan do you know?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know," he said, chagrined.

"It's okay Padawan, I do. Joras wanted to see what the difference was between us and Weliss. Weliss wanted something from you – he took it by threatening you. We also wanted something from you. We came to you, presented ourselves honestly, and answered your questions honestly. If you chose to withhold your information, we would have respected that. Weliss would not have."

"Succinctly put," said Joras. "I also wanted to evaluate you both in person. Get a sense of who you are. I do worry for what will happen to Weliss. But I believe that you are acting as you see fit. And I also believe it is not my place to question you."

Joras stood, "I wish you the best of luck, Jedi. I hope you are as kind with Weliss as you were with me."

Somehow Aurine doubted that Weliss would be very kind with either her or Sascha, but it didn't really matter at the moment. Finally, they may have gotten the break that they needed.


	36. Chapter 35: The Hunter and the Hunted

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- You're half right, and half wrong. As for a female on the investigative team, there was only Liska (someone you've suspected from the first). But we are going to reveal Weliss' helper at the end of this chapter...

 **thejoker122** \- It seems that Weliss might want the Jedi to track him. You'd have to believe that Weliss would be wary enough not to be caught with something so simple as a tracking beacon.

 **Child of Whimsy -** Thanks for the review! I think having everything done and posting regularly is the only way I could have done this - I'm just too lazy to do it otherwise! Plus, it must be good for readers because you always know that on Sunday and Wednesday there will be a new chapter. Sascha falling is certainly out of his character - Tyra, as I think I've tried to show, is his one weakness, his blind spot. Sascha is pretty much a 'pure' Jedi. But he's still sixteen and emotional. Suffice to say, I don't think the dark side will feature heavily in Sascha's journey as it goes forward - he's just too much of a 'good' guy.

A/N - So there's a doozy of a twist at the end of this chapter, that I don't think anyone has quite predicted, which is nice (because someone _always_ predicts my twists). Looking forward to the reaction to the reveal of that one :).

Anyways, Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 35: The Hunter and the Hunted  
**

When the two Jedi returned to their rented speeder it finally became time to talk about what they were going to do. Aurine set the speeder on autopilot and let it chart a course that would meander around the outskirts of the city. While she wanted to immediately plot a course directly towards Weliss, there was a few things she had to attend to first.

Sascha stared forward, looking out the window. Her Padawan's presence in the Force was...messy, to say the least. On the one hand, he was obviously thrilled that they had made some sort of progress in tracking down Weliss. On the other hand, he was clearly dreading a showdown with Weliss. But if he feared Weliss, it would be good thing for her apprentice to confront him. After all, fears had to eventually be conquered.

"So how do you think we should approach this situation?" she asked.

Sascha took a deep breath before answering, "I think we should call up First Secretary Den'arv and have him authorize us to command a squad of Bothan commandos. Then we should make a plan of action. And then we should go after Weliss."

"That seems like a very conservative plan."

Her apprentice met her gaze, "We might only get one chance at finding and confronting Weliss. We might as well take our best shot."

"And what if I would say that we don't need all of these fancy precautions. We just need to find Weliss and confront him. He's only one man, Sascha."

Sascha stayed silent for a little while, and Aurine watched the city fly by. By the way the sky was lightening, it would be morning for this section of Bothawui soon. Finally, Sascha answered her question, "I'd say that you weren't the one that fought him, Master. When we fought, he beat me...comprehensively. We shouldn't be underestimating him."

Aurine pointed at herself, "At worst, it's two Jedi against one, Sascha. I think that this is going to be rather straightforward. Weliss is a trickster, not a fighter. If we catch him by surprise, he won't have any tricks to play on us."

Her Padawan made a gesture of frustration, "Let's just do it the way you want, Master, since you obviously don't care about what I think."

In a Holomovie, this would have been the point where she would have slammed on the breaks and pulled over to the side of the road. Then she would have a stern words for her Padawan. However, Aurine Brynar was slightly above Holomovie cliches. She let the autopilot keep driving along. To respond to her Padawan, she simply raised an eyebrow at him.

Immediately chagrined, Sascha swept a hand through his hair, "Sorry, Master. I didn't mean..."

"You did mean what you said."

Her apprentice winced, but nodded, "Yes."

"Why don't you explain yourself then?"

Sascha put his index finger on his temple, "I've just been thinking a lot about something you said. When you were talking to that reporter you said you didn't know what said would happen to Weliss if we caught him. You suggested that the Jedi would try to help him, but if he could not be helped he would be incarcerated, probably for the rest of his life." He took a deep breath, "I just wondering if that was a fate that could befall me..."

She smiled kindly at her apprentice, "Sascha. I don't want to repeat our last conversation, but you have to accept that while you made a mistake, you are very, very unlikely to repeat it. And while I appreciate you are thinking about the big picture and big issues, you need to keep your focus on the here and now."

"But I always see the big picture, Master. I find it hard to focus on the little things. It's like saying 'I saved one villager,' when the village burned down. Well its great that you saved one villager but...its an inconsequential result."

"It's good to see the bigger picture," she said. "But for now, you should be focusing on learning the small details. Then you can expand the way you see the galaxy, when you get more experience."

He paused, "I'm making an idiot out of myself, aren't I?"

"Well...maybe a little. But you are make a mistake of youth, which are allowed. Almost encouraged."

Sascha's youthful features adopted a reflective look, "When I was young, I couldn't wait to grow up and have adventures out the galaxy. But now that I'm out here having adventures, all I want to do is go back to the Jedi Temple, curl up in my bed, and sleep."

"You know, apprentice, you shouldn't start sentences with 'when I was young.' You make your Master feel old," she observed wryly.

What might have been a strangled laugh emerged from her Padawan, "But did you feel the same way when you were younger?"

Aurine looked out into the lightening sky for a moment, "Not really. I was super ready to show the world that I belonged and was going to make an impact. I'm a very different person from you, Sascha. You're a thinker, I prefer action. We just saw that we have two different approaches. Neither is necessarily wrong, but think of it this way – you are going to learn how I do things, and as always, feel free to disagree. But I want you to think about how you would do things differently, and the strengths and weaknesses of what your plans would have been. That's how you'll learn to be you." She stopped herself, "I ended up answer a totally different question than I started answering, didn't I?"

Sascha laughed slightly, "Yeah, pretty much. It was good advice so I thought I'd let you keep talking."

She allowed herself a little smile, "How about we go and pay Weliss a visit and let the big picture fall into place later?"

Her Padawan hesitated for a moment, and then nodded in agreement, "Let's do it, Master."

Aurine smiled to herself. Part one of her plan, which she had entitled 'Focus her Padawan' had been a success. Now the real part of her plan could begin. The plan was a simple one. Find Weliss, subdue him, and bring him to the Jedi Council.

Aurine took a quick glance at her datapad, which showed the status of the tracking beacon placed on Weliss. It hadn't moved in a number of minutes which meant one of two things – that Weliss had ditched it by the side of the road, or that the Bothan had finally decided to stay in one place. Hopefully his home or hideout.

The Jedi Knight keyed in the coordinates, and settled in for the ride.

* * *

Sascha stared window of the speeder. It had been about a half an hour later after he had made an idiot of himself, their rented speeder was far outside Drev'starn and they were clearly heading for the Sukstav Mountain Range. The high and imposing peaks of the mountains were basically impassible terrain, which was concerning. Their speeder, suffice to say, was not equipped to climb mountains. His Master, somehow, didn't seem concerned. He wasn't sure _why_ she wasn't concerned. She just wasn't.

He had, been watching the mountains get larger in the window with a sort of bored impassivity, when he saw something that made him straighten in his seat, "Do you see that?"

Aurine squinted at the mountain, "It's a mountain...what else is there to see?"

Sascha pointed, "Look there!"

Then she too could see it. Jutting out of the mountain was what appeared to be a fortress commandeered from a bygone age. The structure itself appeared to rise up as part of the mountain, seemingly less of something that seemed to be built by hand, but more of something that had emerged from the mountain itself. It was, agreed Sascha Whitestar, a suitable spot for a villain like Weliss to make his lair. A cliche, he thought, but suitable.

"It's a castle," she said, seemingly just to hear the words out loud.

"It certainly looks that way," said Sascha. He pulled up his datapad to see what in the Force they had gotten into. "It looks like this was...built way in Bothawui's past and has been the site of many battles over the years, but, obviously it lost its value as a defensive fortification as it doesn't really guard a major population centre."

His Master kept the speeder heading right towards the fortress, "That's interesting, but how about its more recent history?"

"I'm getting to that," he replied testily. He sorted through a few more pages of information on his datapad, sifting through historical records and hoping to find something a bit more recent. Finally, he stumbled upon some more recent information. "Looks like the it's called the Ses'tav Fortification. It laid abandoned for many decades... It seems that it became a historical amusement park about a hundred years ago, but it went out of business and closed about five years ago. The land was purchased by a corporation about a year ago...after that, I see nothing."

"So we can assume that Weliss bought this place a year ago and has been preparing it ever since. Wonderful."

"It's too late to suggest that we...call for reinforcements, right?" he asked.

"Pretty much," said Aurine. "Plus, if Weliss is as canny as we know he is, I bet he's got this whole area covered by cameras. He'll know we are coming."

"And that's a good thing?"

His Master shrugged, "It's the likely reality, it's neither good, nor bad."

Sascha thought that his Master was being a bit blase about this, but he supposed that she was the experienced one. He glanced down at the tracker, "Looks like he's in the castle itself, so does this change our plan any?"

His Master was now driving the speeder manually, "Nope. Go in, retrieve the bad guy, leave."

"You make it sound so easy, Master."

"Let's hope I'm right for once then," she said with a confident smile.

The castle was now looming right ahead of them. The structure itself appeared to rise up as part of the mountain, seemingly less of something that seemed to be built by hand, but more of something that had emerged from the mountain itself. What made it slightly more imposing is that whatever Weliss had done to the fortress had seemingly coated the exterior with the power of the dark side. The fact that he was going to go inside that very building and confront Weliss made him more than a little nervous.

Aurine pulled the speeder up near the front entrance. "We're here. Be careful, stay alert, we don't know what we are getting into here." Both Jedi exited the vehicle, his Master's robe flapped slightly in the wind, "I'll take the lead."

Sascha looked around, "Any idea where the door is?"

His Master pointed around the corner, "Pretty sure I saw it over there."

The two Jedi moved cautiously around the corner, carefully using the stone of the castle to move as stealthily as possible. Sascha could almost feel tendrils of the dark side surround and envelop him, and it took an effort of will to shrug off the sleazy tentacles of darkness. This wasn't in the recruitment brochure, he thought, smiling to himself at the absurdity of this very situation. For whatever reason, his mood was better now than it had been previously. He was focused on the task at hand, and all the questions that had been plaguing him seemed inconsequential. They were questions that could be dealt with afterwards, he had come to realize.

When the two Jedi swept around the corner, they were confronted by a the twenty-foot tall wooden front door that seemed to emerge from the wall itself. "Do we just...knock?" he asked.

"No, we knock the door down," replied Aurine.

"Subtle."

"You know me, Sascha, I'm a master of subtlety."

"No doubt."

Aurine closed her eyes, and concentrated, unlocking the massive door with the Force. Then, together, they moved one side of the massive door enough so that they could both squeeze through.

The Jedi Knight went through the door first, her lightsaber unlit, but in perfect position to use it should the need arise. He followed her a second later.

The room in which they had entered into was an unremarkable one, with a high ceiling above them and a long, spiralling staircase that went downward. Something that stood out to the Padawan was that the staircase had a tall, impressively strong railing on the inside of the staircase, for what reason it was designed that way, he was not sure. When he peered over the edge to see how far the staircase went, he found that he couldn't even see the bottom. "I like Weliss' architectural style," said sardonically, "Any plans, Master Brynar?"

"Proceed cautiously," she said, once again taking the lead and started stepping down the staircase, senses alert. He followed a few steps his Master. As the two Jedi progressed slowly, his danger sense seemed to be telling him to be wary, but it didn't offer specific threat to be wary of.

It was at that point that a hole emerged from the roof above and two gigantic boulders emerged dropping to the ground with a tremendous clatter that shook the floor. "Oh _kriff_ " Sascha found himself saying.

Those boulders are going to follow us down the stairs, Sascha realized. With the railing to keep them on course, the two boulders would quickly launch down the spiral staircase and more than likely crush the two Jedi and where they stood. Knowing that even if they could jump one boulder, the second one would crush them flat, both Jedi extended their arms towards the stones, attempting to slow down the rocks with the Force. The stones, which must have weighed at least a couple of tons each and with the momentum of being dropped from above were very difficult to hold in place, even with two Jedi pushing against them. They managed to slow down the boulders as they retreated down the staircase slowly, but stopping them completely, or lifting them out of the way was impossible.

"Do you think he knows we are here now?" he asked, as sweat broke out on his brow.

"He might have an inkling."

Sascha felt himself slip ever so slightly as he missed the next step down the stairs. His concentration broke for a second and the boulders gained a bit of momentum. After regaining his footing, he redirected his focus back towards the boulder. The giant rocks started slowing down again, but they were closing the distance slowly with the two Jedi.

"Master, go down the stairs and check what is at the bottom. I'll hold the boulders."

"You'll hold the boulders? No, _I'll_ hold the boulders and _you_ go down the stairs."

"Master we don't know what is waiting at the bottom of the stairs, it makes sense for you to go down first. Trust me, I've got this," he said, projecting confidence in his voice.

Aurine hesitated for a brief second, then he felt Aurine's focus shift and the boulders moved slightly faster towards him. "See you at the bottom, Padawan." Aurine started leaping down the stairs, taking several at a time.

Sascha wasn't entirely sure that he was going to joining his Master the bottom in one piece, but he could not even afford to think like that as he kept pushing against the boulders, preventing them from getting any more momentum. Telekinesis was hardly his best skill, but whatever willpower he had summoned during the day reinforced him as he continued to back down the stairs slowly, all the while keeping his arms extended towards the large stones, keeping them in his invisible grip.

"Padawan, I'm at the bottom," he heard the voice of his Master echo up chamber, "Now get down here."

That's good advice, Sascha realized, feeling that his control of the Force and thus his control over the boulders was slipping by the second. Taking one backwards glance to confirm his surroundings, he abandoned his push against the boulders and the stones came hurtling towards him, but he was no longer there. While he had considered simply leaping over the boulders and then casually walking down the stairs after they passed by, he wasn't sure he had the energy to do that, and he wasn't particularly interested in being flattened by a pair of gigantic boulders.

Giving himself over to the Force, he launched himself backwards in an athletic backflip where he landed halfway across the room. Not taking the time to admire his feat of agility, he launched himself down the staircase at breakneck speed, the only option available to him, given that that boulders were picking up speed the closer to the bottom they got. All was going well, until he lost his balance off a jump and he slipped downwards.

Even slipping he was still well trained enough, still athletic enough, to keep things from becoming a total disaster…for another few seconds. After completing a half off-balance one footed jump, he missed his intended target, whether by fatigue or lack of strength he could not quite say, nor did it really matter. His foot bounced off the stairway, and he tumbled out of control towards the bottom of room, which was approaching rapidly. Desperately he use the Force to push off against the floor of the room as it came into view, but it was mostly a vain attempt to slow down his out of control body. It was too little, too late.

He was about a meter and a half from the floor, when he saw his Master with her arm outstretched towards him. Suddenly his free fall became much slower. As he was about to his the ground, he tucked into a roll and came to a sudden, bone-jarring halt. Sascha hit the ground uncomfortably hard, but besides a scraped knee, he didn't think he'd hurt himself too badly. Which was amazing, as he thought that he'd been falling to his death seconds earlier.

The two Jedi scrambled through a the door, getting out of the way of the two boulders that collided into the wall a few moments later with a resounding crash.

Sascha laid on the floor, gasping for breath, amazed that he was still alive. Aurine came over to his side, "You okay?"

Sascha checked himself over, "Amazingly, yes."

"Next time, let me hold the boulders, will you?"

Sascha got up and brushed himself off, "Deal."

Aurine started moving forward again and he dutifully followed, feeling a bit more cautious. His adrenaline was fading and so was his bravado. The passageway that they were in reminded Sascha of something from a thousand years ago. Stone walls. Damp. Poor lighting. "Charming place," he muttered.

"Sets the atmosphere well."

"I'll remember to leave a positive review when we leave."

The two Jedi quieted when the could see the end to their passageway. They emerged in a brightly lit room that was divided into two different halves by a transparisteel wall that allowed the two Jedi to see into the other section. There were two doors that each led into a half. One door was labelled, 'Padawan Whitestar' and the other was labelled 'Jedi Brynar.'

"Do you think he might have been expecting us?" Sascha joked lightly.

"I don't think we should let him divide us," said Aurine.

"I agree."

"What makes you think that I would give you the choice?" said Weliss' unmistakable voice.

Sascha felt himself recoil slightly upon hearing his former captor's voice. He cursed at himself under his breath and then straightened.

"Why don't you come over here and we'll sort things out the good old fashioned way?" taunted Aurine.

Weliss' laugh echoed through room, "Oh no, I'm not interested in playing by your rules. You want to bring me to 'justice?' You have play by my rules. Though I have to say that you got here a little quicker than I expected. Maybe you aren't so dull, Jedi Brynar."

"I am a slow learner," Aurine agreed. Then to him, she whispered in a low tone, "Why don't you try to open the door labelled for me."

He nodded and went over to the door, which had 'Jedi Brynar' sloppily written on it. He put his hand on the handle...and immediately withdrew it when he felt a pulse of electricity shoot up his arm. Sascha swallowed a curse and shook out his right arm, "It didn't work for me," he said to state the obvious.

Aurine gestured at 'his' door, "Try that one."

Sascha walked slowly over to the door that had his name on it. Tentatively, he reached for the handle, expecting to be shocked again. Yet, when he touched the metallic surface, no shock greeted him. Cautiously, he opened the door and let it hang open. "Looks like it works for me."

Aurine adjusted her belt, "Maybe we play by his rules for now, Padawan."

"Doesn't sound particularly smart."

"Do you see another option?"

"Not really."

Aurine walked confidently to the door with her name on it, opened the door and stepped through. Sascha cautiously went through 'his' door. Now the two Jedi were divided by the transparisteel divider. He went over to the wall that divided him from his Master and pushed against it. From his little investigation, it seemed like the wall would stop anything short of a lightsaber from getting through.

"Okay Weliss," said Aurine, "We are playing by your rules. Bring on what is next."

Weliss' voice echoed through the room, "Very good, my compliant Jedi. I'll see both of you in due time. First however, I have a surprise for you."

Across from him, at the far side of the room, a door slid open.

Emerging from the darkness was a hooded figure dressed in a tight, black jumpsuit. She, because obviously it was a she, given the curves of her body, seemed somehow familiar to Sascha. Which was obviously impossible.

The figure pulled back her hood and smiled at him. Sascha froze in place. It couldn't be...

"Hello my love," said Tyra Harker.


	37. Chapter 36: A Fallen Friendship

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- Excellent point about how two Jedi vs. one doesn't tend to end well - never even thought of that! The boulder thing was a bit of a tribute to another George Lucas property - Indiana Jones. As for the rest, the title of the book is _Deception_ for a reason. How many layers of deception are we dealing with? We'll have to find out.

 **thejoker122** \- For clarity purposes, that is the real Tyra Harker across from Sascha. Her story will be told (along with the answers to your points, in the next few chapters)

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** That was basically the reaction I was hoping for :).

 **iSawThatComing -** Nope that's Tyra Harker right there. How she got to that point is going to unravel over the next few chapters.

A/N - So just for some backstory that some of you may (or may not find interesting - if you want to proceed to the chapter, definitely go ahead.) When I first wrote this book, the showdown that you are going to read was more than a little different. I really hated the original ending, but it had to be kept, because book 3 requires the events of book 2. During the publishing of this book, I got a better idea for the ending and essentially I scrapped most of the original ending. Thematically it remains the same, but the conclusion of this book is far, far superior - stakes are higher, the action is better and the characters develop in a more organic way.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 36: A Fallen Friendship**

Sascha stared in open mouthed shock at his best friend, Tyra Harker. But this was not the Tyra he had grown up with. This Tyra had dyed her brown hair a deep black and accentuated it with red streaks. She was dressed in what was decidedly not a traditional Jedi robe. Her tight black jumpsuit accentuated Tyra's slim, whiplike figure, making her seem like a deadly snake wrapped in black. While Sascha had always found Tyra to be quite attractive in her usual clothes, this was...an upgrade. Tyra's body language had also changed, usually Tyra was intense, almost standoffish around other people, but at the moment her body was almost sultry.

That was hard enough to deal with, but he was still trying to process the words that Tyra had just said to him. Had she really smiled at him like that and said 'Hello my love?' Was it possible that he had actually died a few moments ago and he was just living out some bizarre fantasy? That seemed more likely than what was happening in front of him.

Tyra, lightsaber bouncing against her hip, started walking towards him slowly, a delighted smile on her lips, "You look surprised to see me, Sascha."

"How can you be here Tyra?" he said, his knees weak.

"It's the Force bringing us together," said Tyra seductively.

Aurine banged on the transparisteel divider, "Padawan Harker. You will stand down and explain yourself."

Tyra turned to the Jedi Knight, "No," she said sweetly.

Aurine straightened, "Padawan Harker, I don't know what you think you are doing here. Surrender your lightsaber to Sascha. Immediately."

"No."

"Tyra...what are you doing?" he asked. Tyra occasionally grumbled about the rules, but she would never, ever disobey a direct order from a Jedi Knight, it was just not in her DNA.

His best friend turned to him, "I left the Jedi Order. Didn't you hear? I guess they wouldn't publicize it. I figured that they might have told my best friend though. I guess that is expecting too much from the Jedi."

"You...left the Jedi?" he said, taking an involuntary step backwards. "Why?"

A smile adorned Tyra's lips, "For you, my love."

"For me?"

Tyra was now about an arms length away from him, "Sascha, we shouldn't deny the truth any longer. We were made for each other. We love each other. We should be together. Lets go, leave the Jedi, and make a life for ourselves, I don't care where, as long as I'm with you."

A part of Sascha wanted to reach out, grab Tyra's hand and follow her to wherever she wanted to go. This was Tyra Harker! His best friend, the girl that he...had the strongest feelings for.. It would be so easy, he thought, just take her hand, and go. Live his life with his soul mate. Because that was what she obviously was.

Aurine pounded on the glass behind him, "Sascha. We are here for Weliss. Remember that!"

Tyra whirled to face Aurine, "Enough of you, Jedi." With a fluid motion, Tyra withdrew a small object and pressed a button. Suddenly, a pulse of electric energy shot through the transparisteel divider. Aurine, who had been leaning against the divider, jerked back spasmodically and fell to the floor, twitching.

"Master!" he shouted, rushing over to see if he could get a better look at her condition.

Aurine had curled into a ball, and Sascha could see wisps of smoke rising from her body. She was still twitching slightly, but she was making her way ever so slowly into a sitting position. Sascha made eye contact with his Master, and Aurine nodded almost imperceptibly at him, a signal that she wasn't badly hurt. Tough as a herd of gundarks was his Master.

Sascha whirled to face Tyra, "Why did you do that? What the hell is wrong with you, Tyra?"

Tyra casually ignored the moans coming from his Master and smiled, "She's an obstacle to us being together, Sascha. I like your Master, I do. But she's stuck in the old ways of thinking. She's not open minded. She thinks that love is just a desire that you bury deep down inside." Tyra's eyes searched out his, "We know differently, don't we?"

Sascha continued backing away from his friend, "Tyra...this isn't you. You just _electrocuted my Master._ That's not something I'm going to forget. And don't you remember that we had a discussion of what we were going to do about these...feelings we had for each other? You obviously don't remember because this was _not_ what we decided upon."

"Things change," said Tyra, shrugging her shoulders and blowing off his retort with ease. "I evaluated my life, and decided that it wasn't worth living if I couldn't be with you."

Sascha stared at his friend in disbelief. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Tyra's mouth. She had abandoned the Jedi Order, and was apparently willing to harm his own Master, just for him? While he cared very, very much for Tyra, his head ruled his heart. While his heart was Tyra's, in his head and in his soul, he was a Jedi, first and foremost. Maybe if he hadn't had that brush with the dark side, he might have felt differently, but now he realized that he had to be a Jedi first, and his feelings, whatever they were, came second. Even if it caused him tremendous pain.

But how was he going to deal with Tyra? He had no idea.

At that very moment, Weliss decided to appear. Dressed in his usual black robe, the Bothan appeared appeared totally calm as he stayed at the edge of the room, leaning back against the wall, apparently content to just watch the drama unfold. "Tyra, enough of this. Subdue the Padawan. Then do the same with this poor excuse for a Jedi Knight."

Tyra turned, faced Weliss and frowned, "You don't get to order me around Weliss. That's not how this arrangement works."

"You know what our deal is," replied Weliss, his voice low, threatening.

Tyra turned back around "Yeah, Yeah." She shook her head, "The things I do for love..." Tyra ignited her lightsaber. "Sascha, hand me your lightsaber, I promise that no harm will come to you. I just need to make sure that you aren't going to do anything stupid."

Aurine, who was the only person separated by the divide, sat on the ground and laughed bitterly, "Tyra Harker, you are in so much trouble. If you put a finger on my Padawan, that is something you cannot take back. Right now, if you turn your lightsaber off and surrender, we'll overlook the raft of poor decisions that caused you to take up with Weliss over there. Or can you not feel the dark side on him?"

Tyra seemed unimpressed and her blue lightsaber continued to hum threateningly, "You misunderstand, Aurine. Me and Weliss? A temporary alliance. We have mutual goals. I want Sascha. He wants...I'm not sure, chaos? Revenge?"

"Revenge, Miss Harker, Revenge."

Tyra flipped her ponytail, "Whatever."

Sascha, exasperated, looked into the eyes of his best friend, "The Tyra I know, the Tyra I care about would never ally with a fallen Jedi like Weliss."

"I've changed," said Tyra quietly. "I'll make you understand the new me when we have some quiet time together." Tyra raised her lightsaber into an en guard position, "Last chance to do this peacefully, Sascha."

Was this really happening? Was he really going to fight Tyra...for real? They'd sparred hundreds of times, but it had always been partly playful, they'd never wanted to actually hurt each other. They had...certainly caused each other numerous welts and bruises in sparring sessions over the years, probably hundreds of times, but there had never been intent to injure behind it.

Sascha ignited his teal lightsaber and shook his head sadly, "I don't want to fight you Tyra. But if you won't stand down, you will force me to."

"Just keep calm, Sascha," said Aurine. "You don't have to hurt her, you just have to disarm her."

A sort of calm broke out for a moment as neither Sascha nor Tyra was willing to take the first move. The stone walls and slightly flickering lights that dotted the room made it seem like this showdown was happening on the set of a horror holomovie.

Tyra took out a pair of stuncuffs from a pocket of her tight fitting jumpsuit and tossed them onto the ground, "If you want to put those on, this will go a lot easier. I might even give you a little kiss if you behave," she purred.

While the idea of kissing Tyra sounded appealing, the thought of putting on the stuncuffs that Weliss' designed was much less so.

"Come on, Miss Harker, we don't have all day," said Weliss, still leaning against the far wall.

Tyra sighed, "Okay Weliss. This won't take long." With a battlecry, Tyra lunged at him with her blue bladed lightsaber. Sascha quickly twirled away. Tyra continued to come forward, pressuring his footwork, but not using her lightsaber to attack. Sascha, who still hadn't shifted into 'I'm fighting for my life mode," scrambled backwards, maintaining enough of his balance to keep Tyra at bay.

Seemingly satisfied, Tyra stood tall, and adopted an arrogant pose, "You know how this is going to go Sascha, so why even bother? I was always better than you when we duelled. I really don't want to hurt you." Tyra smiled, "Although, if I do hurt you, I promise I'll kiss it and make it better."

A tiny part of him was still thrilled with the idea that Tyra would kiss him, but the part of him was a teenager noted the shot at his ego first, "I seem to remember depositing you on the ground when we last sparred a few months ago."

Tyra laughed, "Oh that. You know before we sparred, your Master came to me and told me to 'take a fall' and help build your confidence. You didn't actually beat me, I just decided to lose." Tyra turned to face the slowly recovering Aurine, "Isn't that right, Aurine?"

"I don't believe that," said Sascha defensively.

Aurine closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, her gaze sought out his, "What Tyra said is true," she said softly. "I was looking for ways to make you more confident, and I figured that you would really get a confidence boost if you could defeat Tyra."

Irrationally, Sascha became angry at his Master, "I wasn't aware that I was so hopeless that you needed to _tell_ someone to LOSE to me! Did you tell everyone that I beat to just fall down and not get up?"

Aurine shook her head, and her green eyes showed her contrition, "It was just that one time. I swear."

Tyra smiled kindly, the kind of smile she had always had for him. It was actually the first time that Tyra looked like the 'normal' Tyra, "See Sascha, she's just...using you. For her you are just a tool, a way for her to repay the Jedi for the faith they placed in her. She might care for you a little, sure. But when you were captured, you didn't see her sacrificing everything for you. I would have. I did. I gave up my life for a chance, a _chance_ to be together with you. Do you think she would do the same?"

Sascha took a few steps away from the girl with the humming lightsaber and tried to sort through his thoughts. He was disturbed by the idea that his Master had so little faith in him, thought that he was so fragile, that she arranged for someone to lose to him. But, looking back he _had_ lacked confidence and that 'win' against Tyra had made him want to push himself even harder in training, because he had thought that he was finally progressing. So while he disagreed with what she had done, his confidence, his faith in his Master had not been damaged.

"My Master has my best interest in mind at all times. Which is something I'm not sure I can say for you anymore, Tyra."

Tyra looked like she might burst into tears, "That's the most horrible thing you've ever said to me, Sascha. Do you even know what I've given up for you?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "My faith in you is shaken. You're doing things that are, well...crazy, Tyra." He reached out with his hand cautiously, "Just put down the lightsaber. We'll make everything right again. We always do. The Jedi will never abandon one of their own"

Sascha received a wave of positive energy from his Master in the Force. Sascha let it wash over him, basking in it. This felt like the right thing to do, the way a true Jedi should act.

Weliss coughed loudly, "Yes the Jedi certainly haven't abandoned me. Oh wait, yes they did. Tyra, we'll deprogram this obviously brainwashed young man later. First you have to defeat him. I suggest you get on it."

Tyra stared at his outstretched hand, obviously torn. Then she straightened, "I think that's a good idea, Weliss." Without warning, Tyra was on the attack again, the only clue that Sascha got of an incoming attack was a slight shift of weight of Tyra's weight forward. Her high cut was met by a strong parry and he used his strength to push the interlocked blades back towards her. Tyra rolled her wrists and let his lightsaber roll off of his. He abandoned his attack and slid his lightsaber neatly back into defensive position. Tyra smirked at him, "Well done." Then she attacked again.

He and Tyra had sparred so many times over the years that there was a pattern to their combat. Tyra was whip fast with her lightsaber and creative with her attacks. She loved to throw in wild, twisting elbows, knees and kicks to wear down her opponent. Sascha was, in comparison, boring and plodding in his style. Generally speaking, their sparring sessions started out even, until Tyra had worn him down enough that she was able to take advantage of a mistake that he made. And that would be it.

The pattern was holding so far. Sascha, concentrating totally on Tyra's lightsaber, got a rude surprise when Tyra lashed out and caught him with a sharp kick that landed just above his left knee. His knee buckled for a moment and Tyra almost managed to take advantage, but he _just_ managed to direct her blue blade away from his left arm.

Sascha backed away and quickly tested his knee. It was bruised but Tyra hadn't caused any serious damage. Figuring that he knew how this was going to end if he kept going this way, he did something unexpected. He charged right at Tyra.

Tyra's eyes went wide and she tried to bring her lightsaber to bear, but her action had been predictable and he pushed aside her blade with his. With neither Jedi having a lightsaber to protect themselves for a moment, the fight had changed from a lightsaber duel, to a kickboxing match. And Sascha was a good kickboxer. Perhaps not better than Tyra – she was more technical, more accurate, but he was stronger, and more powerful. Critically, right now, he had the initiative.

With his momentum carrying him forward, Sascha jumped and drove his knee right into Tyra's chest. His momentum carried him past Tyra, he rolled when he landed. He turned quickly to see his best friend on the ground, stunned. Her lightsaber was still held in a deathgrip, but for a quick moment, she was unable to defend herself. Seizing the opportunity, he pointed his lightsaber directly at her heart. "Surrender," he said confidently, more than a little surprised that he had legitimately beaten Tyra.

Tyra coughed a couple of times, but made no indication that she was surrendering. "Tyra, you're beaten. Surrender."

Tyra laughed, long and hard, "What are you going to do Sascha, if I don't surrender? Drive your lightsaber through my chest? Lop off a limb? How exactly do you think you are going to win this fight?" She wiped her mouth with her free hand, "Nice knee though, that hurt."

A sickening feeling descended upon Sascha. He realized that although his attack had been a success, it had left him no way to actually finish this fight with Tyra. He was singularly incapable of hurting her severely with his lightsaber. Cutting off her hand to subdue her? He couldn't fathom the idea. Amazingly, he came to the realization that his teal lightsaber that was pointed directly at Tyra's chest was not going to provide him a way to win this fight.

Sascha started thinking, for the first time, of how he was supposed to 'win.' He needed to either disarm Tyra or subdue her in such a way that he could use Weliss' stuncuffs on her, he realized. He was still processing all this when Tyra made her move.

Having recovered her cognizance, Tyra gathered the Force around her and used it to push him backwards. Caught by indecision, Sascha didn't have time to use his advantageous position and was pushed away from Tyra's prone body. Tyra, now taking advantage of the space that she had created, scrambled to her feet, keeping her lightsaber in a defensive position.

He simply let it happen. He knew that he could have made a diagonal slice at Tyra's wrist, which she may or may not have been able to defend. But he just couldn't bring himself to do that. He couldn't permanently maim his best friend, no matter what was happening to her right now.

Back on her feet, Tyra again came forward, but now she was moving a bit more cautiously, clearly acknowledging that he was at least capable of hurting her. The former Padawan cut towards his head with a one handed slash, which he met with a strong two handed defence. Tyra moved her lightsaber from up high to attack at his legs, which he also managed to parry. But as she was attacking with her lightsaber with one hand, he failed to realize what she was doing with her other hand. Tyra's left hand connected to his jaw, spinning him around and making his world go dark for a split-second.

Sascha stumbled backwards, his defence disrupted. Tyra took advantage by landing a hard kick to his side, which he absorbed with a grunt and a wince. For such a whip-thin girl, Tyra kicked really, really hard.

Tyra paused her attack and looked at him with sympathy, "Don't make me do this Sascha. I don't want to hurt you, but I will. Just put on the stuncuffs, this will all go easier."

He offered Tyra a smile, "Come on, Tyra, when do I ever choose the easy way out?"

"You can do this Sascha. Concentrate," called his Master from the sidelines.

Tyra sighed and once again opened up the attack. He held his ground for a little bit, until Tyra left him with the choice of either stepping backwards or losing his leg below the knee. Sascha back flipped away, and landed hard, his right knee buckling slightly, courtesy, no doubt, of the kick Tyra had landed earlier. Tyra was on him in a flash, her face a mask of intensity and...something else that Sascha couldn't quite identify...desperation maybe?

It was something of a moot point. Tyra was now on the ascendant and she didn't show any sign of letting up her pressure. Sascha began to wilt as the damage to his body piled up, slowly, but surely. A twisting elbow to the jaw made his eyes water for a moment. A glancing punch from Tyra landed on his nose, which started his nose bleeding. And kick after kick landed on his midsection and legs. Like always, Tyra didn't do her damage with one punch, she did it with an array of effective strikes that took their toll.

It was just too much for him to take. He didn't want to be fighting Tyra in the first place, and now she was wearing down his will to fight at all. He had no ideas for turning the fight around, and the fact that his ears were ringing from that elbow that he had taken wasn't helping him any. It was just a matter of time before Tyra subdued him.

Sascha, who had almost been backed into a corner by Tyra, barely avoided a high head kick from Tyra, and using the momentary respite, used a Force push to send Tyra back a couple of feet. Breathing hard, Sascha shook his head and disengaged his lightsaber, tossing it far away from him. He then went to his knees in front of Tyra. "I won't fight you, Tyra. But neither will I surrender. I know you won't harm a defenceless being." He closed his eyes peacefully, waiting for something he knew to be true; that Tyra loved him too much to ever hurt him. This was how he was going to win. He was going to _make_ Tyra see the error of her ways.

He felt Tyra come closer to him, "So you are saying no to the stuncuffs?"

"I'm not surrendering. I'm just not fighting either. I know you won't hurt me."

"Oh Sascha," said Tyra, emotional. She sniffed, "I love you, but you misunderstand me."

 _Oh Kriff._

"I'll _always_ fight for what I love," said Tyra.

He felt Tyra's weight shift forward, indicative of her throwing a kick at his head. Sascha refused to accept that his best friend would…

The next thing that Sascha remembered was being curled on his side. That was funny, he could have sworn that he had been kneeling...that meant...that Tyra had actually kicked him in the head. It seemed unfathomable. He opened his eyes and saw Tyra crouching over him, but he was so dizzy he could barely comprehend that it was her. He closed his eyes again. All he wanted to do was to take a long, peaceful snooze. He tried to move his hands, and found that he was wearing a pair of very familiar feeling stuncuffs.

"Welcome back, sweetheart," said Tyra.

"You hit me," he said drunkenly.

"Yeah, you lost consciousness there for a moment. I had to make sure that you would stay down while I put those on, so I hit you pretty hard."

"You hit me," he repeated.

"Tell you what," Tyra said, leaning so close to him that he could feel her breath on his face, "Tell me where you hurt and I'll kiss it and make it better."

"I'd rather kiss a bantha."

"You say that, but you don't mean it," Tyra replied, not seeming to be wounded by his insult (which he had absolutely meant).

"Now, I'll be right back, I just need to go deal with your Master," Tyra purred.

Even a remark like that couldn't make Sascha want to get up. He curled into a ball more tightly, closed his eyes and wished that this horrible nightmare would just end.


	38. Chapter 37: Decoding

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- Still coming back to her leaving early with Nara at that party? Man that was like...thirty chapters ago. While I don't want to spoil everything, we will see the events that caused Tyra to be on Bothawui at this moment. You made good points re: Aurine. Sascha is far too close to Tyra to see things rationally, it's certainly Aurine that is the more clear-eyed observer.

 **thejoker122** \- Sascha did, in a way take a fall. He was hoping that Tyra wouldn't attack him if he was defenseless...and he paid the price for that.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** Tyra's not one for half measures is she? I think many of your thoughts are going to be echoed by Aurine in this chapter.

A/N - Posting this slightly later than usual, so no notes from me

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always, follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Decoding**

If there was one thing that Aurine Brynar hated, it was being a passive observer. So it wouldn't surprise anyone who knew her well to know that her watching her apprentice fight and lose against Tyra was essentially a form of torture. She would have loved nothing more than to carve herself a hole through the divider and insert herself into the fray.

Unfortunately, that option had been taken away from her when she had foolishly let herself get electrocuted. It turned out that ignoring a warning of danger from the Force was a very bad idea. Truth be told, she was still feeling the effects of having a shock of electricity pulse through her veins, but as the duel between Tyra and Sascha had progressed, she had recovered quicker than she had expected. Yet, instead of trying to join the fight, she had watched the duel closely. Having a perfect view of the proceedings had confirmed one important thing to her.

The girl fighting Sascha was not Tyra Harker.

Physically, it was Tyra, not even the galaxy's most accurate cloning program could have produced a clone that looked, moved, and talked like her. But this Tyra seemed to bear little connection to the young girl that she had a heart-to-heart conversation with several months ago. Aurine wouldn't claim to know Tyra as well as her Padawan did, but she had a fairly strong impression of who she was – and this was very clearly not her.

None of her actions made sense. If, as she claimed, she had made some sort of deal with Weliss to be reunited with Sascha, how was she expecting to have met up with Sascha? It was a complete and total happenstance that she and Sascha had been sent to Bothawui. And if she had been working with Weliss for some time, why didn't she free Sascha when he was captured? Her apprentice had been less than a second away from death when she had saved him. If she was as devoted to her apprentice as she claimed, then there was no way she should have taken such a risk.

But then again, Tyra's actions didn't seem to follow any sensible pattern. Either Tyra had been driven mad by her feelings for Sascha, or there was a deeper, unseen motive at play.

As she watched the duel between her Padawan and Tyra continue to rage on, she started putting together theories for what that motive could be.

The first was the most obvious, that Tyra was madly in love with her apprentice and was willing to do anything to be with him.

That theory didn't sit right with her. Tyra had certainly struck her as someone that was struggling with her emotions for her best friend, but she had never gotten the sense that Tyra was willing to throw everything away. No, Tyra Harker was far too devoted to the Jedi Order to have just woken up one day, left the Jedi Order and then put together an elaborate plot to win the affection of Sascha Whitestar. Aurine knew from experience that the passion of love might make even the most straight-laced of beings do some wildly out of character things, but they were just grand, impulsive gestures – the kind of things you'd see reported on the Holonet 'man delays traffic to profess his love,' that kind of feeling for someone couldn't sustain months and months of plotting. Especially not someone like Tyra Harker, who knew what the costs of letting her passions get the better of her were.

Aurine assigned the chances that Tyra was a love struck former Jedi at around two percent. Not impossible, just not very likely.

A second possibility was that Tyra's taste for the dark side had only been the tipping point, and that she had legitimately left the Jedi in order to explore the dark side more fully. What she was doing now was little more than a mind game to distract both her and Sascha.

That didn't sit right with her either. While the evidence seemed to line up – Tyra had used the dark side, and had, apparently, left the Jedi Order, nothing about the young girl's Force aura suggested darkness. Passion, yes. Strong feelings? Absolutely. But nothing malicious or evil. And besides, Tyra was a fundamentally good kid. Her brush with the dark side had been a sobering wake up call for her, just like it had been for Sascha. Tyra didn't seem to be the type of person that would be swayed to the dark side. She wasn't impulsive or quick to anger, and no matter how much black she chose to wear, it was hard to hide the the fact that deep down, Tyra Harker was a noble person.

So, she assigned the chances that Tyra Harker had actually fallen to the dark side also at around three percent. Possible, but again, deeply unlikely.

Then Aurine sat up slightly as it seemed like she might not have to figure out what Tyra was up to after all, as Sascha caught Tyra by surprise and hammered her with an excellent leaping knee strike that caught Tyra flush. Sascha, showing excellent awareness, pivoted quickly and pointed his lightsaber directly at her chest. Aurine closed her eyes. Wrong move, my Padawan. Had he forgotten the lessons that she had taught him about identifying win conditions? Apparently. If he had only decided to disable her lightsaber instead of pointing his blade at her chest...

Aurine watched, mildly unsurprised as Tyra was able to get back up to her feet and start pressuring Sascha again. She noted, not for the first time, that Tyra was, very subtly, being very careful about how she used her lightsaber. She was throwing fists and kicks and elbows with wanton abandon, but her lightsaber was only being used in attacks that were partially choreographed. You'd have to be very good duelist to spot it, but Aurine was. It didn't necessarily mean anything, it could have been that Tyra was unwilling to damage the object of her affection or there could have had some other motive behind it. It was just interesting to note.

As the two apprentices took a short breather, Aurine racked her brain, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. She had essentially dismissed the idea that Tyra was either drunk on love, or had legitimately gone over to the dark side. Which meant that there had to some sort of deception at play on Tyra's part. What she didn't understand was if Tyra had gone undercover to try to discover any fallen Jedi, which seemed like a decent possibility, then why had she not immediately joined up with Sascha and taken down Weliss? She had to assume that there was a deeper motive at play...but what could it possibly be?

While it was not totally uncommon that Jedi were sent deep undercover – Aurine remembered clearly that Obi-wan Kenobi's friend and her occasional rival, Siri Tachi, had been sent into deep undercover, to infiltrate and break up a large slaving ring. The circumstances here were similar. She remembered the rumor that Siri and her Master's relationship had broken down and that her Master had ended the apprenticeship. Furious, Siri had left the Temple without saying goodbye to anyone. Then when she had popped up in the galaxy again, she was working as a Lieutenant for Krayn, a notorious slaver.

It had been a shock for anyone who had known Siri to see her 'fall.' Obi-wan had been saddened and distressed to see his friend leave the Jedi. Then, months later, Aurine had been walking down walking down the halls of the Jedi Temple, and had seen Siri Tachi, dressed in full Jedi regalia walking purposefully in the other direction. Some quick research had shown her that Siri had been granted a return to the Jedi Order, and after a quick conversation with a delighted Obi-wan, she had learned that Siri had simply been acting at the behest of the Jedi Council, and her argument with her Master had merely been a fabrication.

So was that what was happening here? Her Master had always said that 'There is nothing new in the universe, only new variations on old themes.' Was this the dangerous mission that Tyra had been talking about those long months ago? She suspected that perhaps it was, but why was Tyra still acting like this? Was there a bigger fish that she was looking to catch? What could possibly constitute a bigger threat than a mad ex-Jedi? Honestly, Aurine would have loved to have had a five minute conversation with her Master right now. Nova always seemed to have the ability to find the one clue that clarified things. However Nova wasn't here, so she would have to figure things out herself.

Aurine sat back and watched as Sascha was inevitably worn down. She felt a little thrill of pride at watching Sascha fight. He was not as good as Tyra, but he had improved so drastically since the first time she had seen him. Just looking at the little ways that he reflected her gave her the sort of pride that she imagined a mother would feel. Given that she would never have a biological child of her own, Sascha was likely the closest thing she would ever have to a son. And now she was watching him be torn apart, both emotionally and physically. And she was just letting it happen. Realistically, there was no way to intervene, and despite the fact that Sascha was losing, she didn't think he was under any serious threat.

Eventually, Sascha tossed away his lightsaber and knelt in front of Tyra, "I won't fight you, Tyra," he said. "But neither will I surrender. I know you won't harm a defenseless being."

Aurine bit her lip. Sascha had misunderstood his friend, very badly, to assume that she wouldn't hurt him. He was still thinking of Tyra as the girl that was his best friend. She clearly was not playing that role today.

Tyra hesitated for a moment, then kicked Sascha in the head, catching him hard on the jaw. Sascha collapsed backwards, having clearly been knocked clean out, momentarily, by the blow. Aurine hated watching Sascha get hurt like that, but forced herself to pay attention to Tyra's reaction. For a split-second, Tyra looked absolutely stricken and disgusted with herself. It was no more than a split-second, but it revealed everything to Aurine.

Tyra walked over and collected Sascha's discarded lightsaber before returning to his side. Her Padawan was blinking slowly and returning to consciousness no more than ten seconds after being deprived of it. That was good, as it indicated nothing more than a minor concussion and no serious trauma beyond that. Tyra crouched over her Padawan and exchanged some brief words. Aurine ignored it, and began preparing herself for a fight. One that she wasn't sure that she wanted to win or not. She'd have to do some verbal sparring with Tyra to see if she could further decode her intentions.

"Now, I'll be right back, I just need to go deal with your Master," said Tyra.

Sascha curled up in to a little ball, unwilling on unable to watch what was coming next.

Aurine got to her feet, feigning being more shaky on her feet than she actually was, "After you did that to my Padawan, I'm going to tech you a lesson you'll never forget." She glanced over at Weliss, "Is the Bothan going to come over and play? I'd like to get a challenge from someone today."

Weliss glanced back at her lazily, "I think I may just keep you in your little chamber, Jedi."

"No. The Jedi is mine," declared Tyra. "Let me at her."

For a second, Weliss looked uncertain. Then he shrugged, "It's your life, Miss Harker." Weliss withdrew a datapad and started pressing buttons on the device.

Wary, Aurine looked around, keeping alert to any potential dangers. But the only thing that happened was that the divider that had been separating her from the other half of the room receded neatly into the floor. Now nothing separated her from Tyra. And Weliss. Aurine glanced at the Bothan, who seemed unconcerned about the upcoming duel. She suspected that if she charged right at Weliss, the Bothan would have some sort of trap that would make her life rather unpleasant. So she had to deal with Tyra first.

Aurine noticed that Tyra was still holding Sascha's lightsaber, "You should return that to its proper owner."

"Thanks, but no thanks," said Tyra. "I have plans for this lightsaber." Tyra ignited Sascha's lightsaber and started twisting the buttons on the hilt, shortening the blade to make it about the right length for a shooto.

"I didn't know that Sascha told you how his lightsaber worked," she said, surprised. She wasn't sure if she knew how to do that on Sascha's lightsaber.

Tyra shrugged her shoulders casually, "I know everything there is to know about Sascha. Now I'm going to win his freedom with his blade. Partly at least." Tyra ignited Sascha's lightsaber and put in in her left hand, holding it in reverse grip, like it was a dagger. The young girl dressed in black also ignited her lightsaber and held it in her dominant hand, her right hand. "Any last words?"

Aurine snorted derisively. "I've been asked that question on at least seven different occasions and I'm still here. Last chance to surrender peacefully, Miss Harker."

Tyra smiled, "You know that I can't."

And with that, the fight was on.

But unlike her apprentice, Aurine didn't intend to be passive. She came at Tyra from an angle, looking to pressure her footwork. But Tyra had quick feet and even quicker hands, as she avoided her charge and swung at her with Sascha's lightsaber. Aurine stopped short, letting Sascha's teal blade sail wide before unleashing a two handed, powerful strike at Tyra. Tyra brought her blue-bladed lightsaber up to parry, abating the momentum, but not stopping it fully. Showing great agility, Tyra pivoted out of the way of her slightly deflected blade.

Aurine kept up the pressure on Tyra. She wasn't quite sure how she wanted to handle this situation, even when she was in the middle of it. She could, she assumed, just beat Tyra and then proceed to deal with whatever tricks Weliss had yet to play. Or she could let Tyra win and assume that the young girl was playacting for a _very_ good reason. She was hoping that something that Tyra would do during this duel would sway her one way or the other. But there wasn't an easy way to communicate with Weliss being right there.

She kept up the pressure on Tyra, using her strength advantage over the smaller girl. While normally strength was not all that valuable in a lightsaber duel, with Tyra using two lightsabers, she was forcing Tyra to parry with both blades instead of just one, thus negating that particular advantage. Upon seeing an opening for an unorthodox strike, Aurine stomped down hard on Tyra's left foot – one that she probably should have retracted seconds previously.

Tyra yelped loudly and danced backwards, barely putting weight on her left foot. Tyra hopped slightly, testing her foot, "That wasn't very sporting."

"I'm going to teach you a lesson before I subdue you, Miss Harker. Call it the first stage of your recovery – paying physical penance."

Tyra started circling, limping very slightly on her left foot, "That doesn't exactly sound like how a Jedi should act."

Aurine snorted, "Lectured about being a Jedi by someone who left the Order? Forgive me if I don't bow to your wisdom."

"Oh you'll be bowing soon enough, Aurine," sneered Tyra.

"You misunderstand," she said. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I assume that's something you can sympathize with."

Recognition dawned in Tyra's brown eyes, and she paused for a moment, "I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve my goals. As you'll soon see!"

Aurine just barely managed to deflect Tyra's incoming Force push, but quickly found that was exactly what the whip-thin girl had wanted, as Tyra came at her with a whirlwind of an attack. Caught flatfooted, Aurine had no choice but to give ground and parry the attacks that were threatening to slice off parts of her anatomy, parts that she had become particularly fond of over the years. Feeling a bit uncomfortable at the quality of Tyra's attack, she stopped it in one of the most basic ways possible. She punched Tyra in the face.

It wasn't particularly glamorous, but it was effective. Her punch didn't exactly land square, Tyra managed to twist out of the worst of it, but it still had caught her right her right on the chin and staggered her backwards. Tyra covered her retreat by waving her lightsabers around her in a display of incandescent light.

"I seem to have swollen your lip," Aurine observed.

Tyra wiped her mouth, "That's okay, my lips will soon be swollen by Sascha's kisses." Tyra flourished her two blades and attacked with her blade, while keeping Sascha's shortened lightsaber positioned defensively. Aurine backpedaled and then interrupted Tyra's attacking pattern with one emphatic parry. A quick Force push sent Tyra scrambling backwards.

"You better hope that you have something better than that at your disposal, Miss Harker. Because if you think you can beat me...I'm sorry. They don't just give anyone the rank of Jedi Knight."

Tyra growled deep in her throat and launched at her like she was a Sand Panther. Tyra's attack was ferocious, almost wild, undisciplined, but it almost seemed to be wild for the sake of being wild. It didn't even seem like Tyra was trying to beat her, she merely want to look like she was trying very hard to do so. Spotting an opening, Aurine hit Tyra with a strong strike to Tyra's left wrist. Tyra's eyes widened and Sascha's lightsaber dropped from her hand, scarring the floor.

Tyra backflipped away, and upon landing, started shaking out her wrist, trying to get feeling back into her hand. Aurine simply picked up Sascha's lightsaber, disengaged it and put it on her belt. "That's not yours," Tyra growled.

"No. It's Sascha's," she agreed.

"In trouble are we, Miss Harker?" drawled Weliss. "Do you need assistance?

"Give me five more minutes and I'll have this all over with," said Tyra. However Tyra's trademark intensity was wavering somewhat. Now with only one blade at her disposal, Tyra came forward cautiously. She launched into a fast pattern of attacks, three high cuts and then a long, sweeping cut towards Aurine's legs.

Aurine parried easily and caught Tyra on the thigh with a kick for good measure. Limping slightly, Tyra refused to admit defeat and attacked again, but even more sloppily than before. Confused at why Tyra was fighting stupid, Aurine backed up, keeping up a solid defence. While doing so, she spotted at least three different opportunities that could have ended the fight, including one that would have left Tyra lacking a left wrist.

But Aurine didn't take any of them.

She realized that Tyra was trying to communicate with her – she was giving her an open invitation that said 'if you want to beat me, here is your chance.' Because Tyra couldn't afford to communicate out loud, or even through the Force, she was communicating the only way that was left to her – physically.

Wanting to make sure that this wasn't some sort of advanced trick, Aurine moved her blade towards another opening that Tyra had left, one that would have run right through the hilt of Tyra's lightsaber...and two or three of her fingers. She went most of the way through completing that attack, and then just...stopped, moving her blade back into a central position. She hoped Weliss hadn't been able to see that she had just missed a perfect chance to end the duel, but the Bothan was far away and seemed to only be partially paying attention to the duel.

With her mind now unequivocally made up, the only thing left for Aurine to do, was to take a fall. Aurine went on the attack, but she did little more than throw some threatening looking blows that were easily deflected. Then at the end of the sequence, she positioned her left hand sloppily, so that a quick slice from Tyra could have detached it from her wrist. Aurine prepared for the worst, to see Tyra's blade quickly take advantage. But the young Jedi dressed in black didn't even seem to notice the opening.

Tyra shook her head imperceptibly at her, as if to say, 'I'll win, but not that way.'

Feeling confident that she was making the right choice and the Tyra was still a Jedi, Aurine pressed another sloppy attack – one that was powerful, but easily countered. Tyra spotted the opening that she had left her and dug a quick punch into her rib cage. Aurine winced, and felt her breathing get a little more difficult. Tyra was certainly not throwing weak punches, that was for sure.

Aurine left Tyra a few more openings, which she took advantage of, before she decided that she would make a massive 'mistake.' She plunged forward, with an aggressive attack, one that legitimately seemed to put Tyra on the back foot. Aurine then brought her lightsaber down in a massive overhand blow. Tyra scrambled out of the way, and Aurine stumbled for a moment. But that moment was all that Tyra needed.

The Jedi Knight saw Tyra's right leg coming at her, a black blur that, if she didn't move, would clip her right by her temple. She could have moved, could have turned with the blow. She just chose not to. She chose to put her fate in Tyra's hands.

The kick landed, hard. Aurine staggered back, totally dazed and completely woozy. She swung her lightsaber in a defensive pattern, born out of reflex rather than out of conscious thought. She hit nothing but air. Aurine felt something land near her left knee and her leg buckled. Still running on pure reflex, she rolled and swept her blade around towards what she thought was Tyra Harker.

Truth be told, things like 'having a plan to lose this fight' had been knocked out of her mind. Fortunately, the other thing that had been knocked out of her mind was her ability to coordinate herself in any meaningful way. All she had at the moment was her basic fighting skills, her reflexes and the years of training at the Jedi Temple that had been imbued into her.

Her senses returned to her just in time to see Tyra's boot en route to her jaw.

Aurine's world went black.

When she awoke, she did so slowly. Her first thought was, that Tyra hadn't pulled anything from the kick that had knocked her loopy. It took a couple of more moments for her to realize that she was handcuffed and was being dragged along the ground by a very pleased looking Bothan.

"What happened," she slurred.

"You lost, Jedi Brynar," cackled Weliss.

Aurine Brynar really hoped that she hadn't just made a terrible mistake.

Her life, and Sascha's life rested in the hands of Tyra Harker. She just hoped that Tyra knew what she was doing.


	39. Chapter 38: Tyra's Trials, Part One

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- I mean it's great that you are reading into the story and proposing theories, I love it. I think we'll be able to put any 'Tyra is the next Palpatine theories' to bed after this next chapter. I think your are right and that Aurine made the 'correct' decision, I just think its hard for Aurine, who is a real 'I want to do this myself' kind of person put her fate in the hands of a sixteen year old Padawan.

 **thejoker122** \- Interesting theory! I do love the idea of it being a test for Sascha.

A/N - So we are going to go back in time a little bit and tell Tyra's story for the next two chapters. I know it's a bit of a step backwards, as the plot had been moving forward, but it's necessary to understand what exactly happened to Tyra. This will be part one and we'll have part two on Sunday (one of my favourite chapters of this whole saga.)

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always, follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 38: Tyra's Trials _,_ Part One**

 _Months Ago, The Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

Tyra Harker bounced nervously from foot to foot in the small waiting area outside the Jedi Council Chambers. Her Master, the Twi'lek Jedi Knight Teff Nal'ma, watched her in amusement, "Still get nervous before appears before the Council, do we?" While Teff had a reputation for being stern and aloof, after being his apprentice for two years, she had come to understand Teff and read his often very subtle body language. All in all, she was happy to have Teff as her Master.

"I think the answer to that question is pretty obvious," she said. She blew out a long breath, "And you are sure it has nothing to do with my...brush with the dark side?"

Teff knelt in front of her and looked into her eyes, "Tyra, the Jedi Council has far more important things to deal with than a Padawan having a brief brush with darkness. You need to put this episode behind you and move past it."

Tyra nodded politely, but she knew that she'd never be 'past it' until she discussed what had happened on Kuat with Sascha. But she couldn't discuss it with Sascha until she stopped loving him. She hoped that one day, she'd wake up and her feelings would be gone, but that was obviously not going to happen anytime soon.

Teff stood, "I hope we are being summoned to undertake a mission. It will be good for you to leave the Temple again."

"I hope it's a mission too," she said. Getting away from the Temple sounded brilliant. She'd be able to get away from Sascha...

The doors to the Council chamber opened, and the young Padawan that was on duty admitted them to the Council Chambers. The mood in the beautiful room was grim, and Tyra was totally surprised to see that all twelve members of the Council were currently seated. Even when all the members of the Council were on Coruscant, it was not unheard of for a couple of the members to be busy elsewhere within the Temple and not physically present. Yoda especially spent much of his time teaching the young Initiates in the Temple. To see that all twelve of them were here now...that indicated that something big was happening.

She and her Master went to the centre of the room and bowed politely. Tyra stood by her Master, head held high. Whatever her she was thinking internally she did not want to display it overtly to the most important Jedi Masters in the whole Jedi Order. Tyra had always been good at controlling her emotions, it was something that had come naturally to her. In that way, someone like Sascha was her polar opposite – he was always in tune with his emotions.

Tyra bit her lip, _stop thinking about Sascha_ she told herself _._

"Master Nal'ma, Padawan Harker, thank you for coming here," said Master Windu. "Today is an auspicious day in the history of the Jedi Order, for reasons that will become clear later today." Mace turned his attention to her Master, "For confidentiality reasons, we must ask that you leave this chamber, Master Nal'ma."

Tyra was stunned. They were asking her Master to leave the room? Why? And why was this an 'auspicious day' in the history of the Jedi Order?

Her Master bristled visibly, "I believe that common courtesy is if a Padawan is being questioned, that her Master has a right to be there." The Twi'lek turned to glare pointedly at Yoda, "Or are we just discarding our usual decorum today?"

The tension in the room seemed to rise. Adi Galia, the Tholothian Jedi Master attempted to break the tension, "We admit that this is unusual, but we have a need to speak to your Padawan in private."

"All twelve of you?" said Teff incredulously. Her Master moved behind her and placed his strong hands firmly on her shoulders. "If you want to say something to Padawan Harker, you can say it to me."

Tyra was actually touched at how protective Teff was being. Her Master had generally been more of a proponent of the 'school of tough love,' but after Kuat, he had been more attentive to her, more open, more friendly. She...liked this new, changed, Teff, but was still getting used to it.

"We are asking you to leave the room not for nefarious reasons," said the Kel'dor Jedi Master Plo Koon, "But because we are in need of Padawan Harker's services."

"My services?" she said, "What is so special about me?"

"We are going to offer you a mission to which you are...uniquely suited," said Mace, who leaned forward and folded his hands together. "Unfortunately, we cannot discuss this mission with your Master."

" _Can't?"_ said Teff. "You mean you are physically incapable of discussing the mission with me in the room? Am I casting some sort of spell in the Force that renders you mute? You can offer a mission to my Padawan, that is your right. But tradition dictates that I at least _know_ what mission is being offered to my apprentice." Teff's lekku were twitching in obvious agitation and her Master seemed to be ornery enough to take on the entire Jedi Council.

Deciding that she was the only one that could diffuse this situation, she turned and faced her Master, "It's okay Master, I can handle this."

Teff leaned in close and whispered to her, "It's not that I don't think you can handle it, because you can handle anything, it's just that I won't let the Council violate rules that have been in place for hundreds of years because it is convenient to them."

Tyra took a step back from Teff, "I understand, Master. But judging by the mood in the room, the Council is only doing this because they need to, isn't that right, Masters?"

Yoda, his feet dangling over the edge of his miniature chair nodded in agreement, "Unusual this request is. Unusual these times are."

Teff eyed the members of the Council suspiciously, and then nodded to her, "If you want me, I'll be waiting just outside the door."

"Thank you, Master Nal'ma," she said.

Teff stormed away and out the door, making it obvious that he was unhappy with how things had gone. "I see Master Nal'ma's penchant for diplomacy hasn't changed over the years," observed Master Ki-Adi Mundi.

"He is only being a good Master," observed Deba Bilaba. "There are worse flaws to have."

"Let us not be sidetracked," said Mace, who seemed to be in charge of this meeting. "Padawan Harker, how are you feeling today?"

"Uh, I was feeling fine, but I'm a little bit nervous right now," she said, as she suppressed an urge to fidget.

"The Jedi Council has had an eye on you for some time," stated Adi Galia, not unkindly. "You are among the exceptional students of your age group. Your grades in your studies have been excellent, you were the leader of your clan and you were sought after by many Masters to be their Padawan. Now you've had a strong start to your career as a Padawan and you've seemingly managed to take the edges off of Master Nal'ma, recent outbursts aside," Adi said with a tiny smile.

Tyra was trying to find a way to say 'thank you' to that praise when Mace started speaking again, "That is until your last mission, there was an incident that attracted negative attention."

Tyra swallowed hard, and was lost for words again. What could she possibly say to the wisest Masters of the Jedi Order that wouldn't sound pathetic? 'I'm sorry' didn't seem to cut it.

Yoda's gimer stick bounced on the cold floor of the Council Chamber, "Here to scold you, we are not. Important to note, merely it was."

"I...don't understand," she said. Her knees felt weak, he mouth was as dry as she could ever remember it being. What exactly was going on here? She hadn't the faintest of ideas.

Mace leaned forward, "Your brush with the dark side is not of concern to us, because we don't believe that you will every fall prey to it again, correct?"

Tyra, instead of wilting when confronted with Mace's stern gaze as most Padawans did, kept her eyes focused on his, "I will not make that same mistake twice."

Mace held her gaze for a moment and then nodded in approval, "Good. But your brief fall to the dark side presents us with an opportunity."

Plo Koon began to speak in his deep gravelly tones, "Dark forces array themselves against us, and it is becoming more and more difficult to sense their motives. Or even know who they are. What we do know is that someone has been in contact with several of the Jedi that have left the Order and this person is inciting them against us."

And what does this have to do with me, Tyra almost said. Instead, she said, "Inciting them against us how?"

"We aren't exactly sure," said Mace, "And that's the problem. All we are seeing is the results. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of ex-Jedi emerging from their relative quiet and causing trouble. This includes everything from giving public interviews damaging the reputation of the Jedi to turning to lives of crime and flaunting their talents. This in turn has caused some damage to our reputation and has even attracted some attention from the Senate and the media. We need to find who is working in the shadows and convincing these previously quiet ex-Jedi to take these public actions. And we need to find out why someone has taken an interest in hurting the Jedi Order."

"You're sure that there is someone behind this?" she asked.

"We are sure," said Even Piell, the tiny Lannik with a voice that could have belonged to a being three times his size. "A few of the ex-Jedi that have been contacted by this person have reported it to us. Their descriptions all match – they tell of a hooded figure dressed in a black cloak that tries to woo them with either money or other promises, into making public actions against the Jedi."

"So you want me to go undercover to find this hooded figure in black," she said bluntly. Two or three of the Jedi Masters shifted in their seats. Master Billaba perhaps looked the most uncomfortable.

"That would be your mission," said Mace. "You see, there is something else that you need to know. The computer network at the Temple has been infiltrated. We aren't sure how, but our computer network is no longer secure. While we've carefully curated our more sensitive information and quarantined it from being viewed by anyone without the proper clearances, we have no way of reducing the access that this outsider has managed to find."

"So shut it down, move to the backup network and change the security logarithms," said Tyra. Hadn't this been covered in her basic file security class? Had the Jedi Council simply forgotten that lesson from their youth?

"That sounds easy to do, in theory," said Depa Billaba, her voice betraying the slight accent of someone from Chalacta. "In practice it is impossible. Our network is always in use, whether it be by the civilian workers at the Temple or a Jedi on a far flung world. To shut it down for the time necessary for a full restart could be disastrous. All we can do is triage the situation."

"But the discussion of our security is not why you are here today," said Mace, redirecting the conversation yet again. "We are here because you present us with a unique opportunity for giving you the best chance of attracting the attention of whoever is talking to these ex-Jedi. Given that your brush with the dark side has already been entered into our records, if you were to suddenly be banished from the Jedi Order, we feel that it is likely that you'd be contacted by this mysterious person. You would probably be seen as a target of interest considering the way you left."

Tyra's mind was connecting the dots between 'A' and 'B' but she didn't like where it was going. "So you are going to banish me from the Jedi Order," she said tonelessly. The words seemed surreal. The Jedi Order was her life, was the only thing she'd ever known. How could she leave, even if it was a deception?

"We are," said Depa. "It will be, for all intents and purposes, official. We'll do it quietly, of course. Most Jedi won't even notice, you'll just be quietly removed from the roster of active Jedi. A quick press release confirming your banishment will confirm its legitimacy with the outside world."

"Only us twelve on the Jedi Council will know that you are going undercover," said Agen Kolar, the Zabrak Jedi Master.

"What will I tell my friends? How am I even going to find this...person that has been contacting the Jedi that have left the Order?"

"It would be best, if you told your fellow Jedi nothing," said Mace. "Nothing about this mission is to leave this room. If you wanted to tell a fellow Jedi about what you are doing you could say that you've accepted a long-term mission, and you don't know when you'll be back. The simpler the story, the better."

Plo Koon leaned forward, "As for finding the person that is inciting those that have left the Order against us, it is our hope that he or she will contact you. It may take some months," Master Plo admitted.

"So what do I do while I wait?" she asked, "Go shopping?" Shopping was probably one of the things that she would be looking forward to the least, but she wanted an appropriately flippant remark and it seemed like that had fit the bill. She mostly did it because she was scared. Scared, alone, and she felt like the biggest mistake she had made in her life was being used against her to make potentially an even bigger mistake.

"We suggest that you might quietly put the word out that you were unhappy with the way that you were forced out of the Jedi Order," said Depa. "Nothing as grand as giving an interview, but provide enough clues that if someone was looking for you, they'd find a trail of discontent. That should hopefully lure this mystery person to you."

"Masters, I think you have the wrong Jedi for this. I'm not good at sneaking around, I'm not good at going undercover, I'm not good at deceiving anyone. I don't think I can do...any of what you are suggesting." Tyra was breathing in short shallow gasps, just overwhelmed by everything that was going on. The idea that she would be forced out of the Jedi Order, even as a part of a grand deception was an idea that was hard to come to terms with.

"It is exactly because you are none of these things that make you the perfect fit," said Adi, comfortingly. "No one will suspect that you have been given such a mission. That is what makes you our best option."

The room was spinning around Tyra Harker and she had to take some long, deep breaths to calm herself and stop feeling like she was falling through the floor. "Do I have to do this?"

"You are not being forced into this," said Mace, who leaned back in his chair, his body language suggesting disappointment. "But know that you are our first, and best choice for this undertaking."

Yoda tapped his stick on the floor again, "Great danger, this mission brings. A great trial, it is. A great good you would do the Order, if you succeed. Force you to do this, we will not."

"Can I take a day to think about it?" she asked.

"No," said Mace. "You either accept now or turn down the mission."

"I...I..." Tyra badly wanted to say decline. But she couldn't. As much as this felt like an ambush, as much as she didn't think that she was the right Jedi for this...she couldn't say no. It wasn't in her DNA to refuse an assignment, even a crazy, obviously extraordinarily dangerous mission.

"I, uh, accept the mission," she said. "On one condition."

Mace might have smiled, but the smile was swallowed by the penetrating gaze of the Korun, "Padawans do not dictate terms to the Jedi Council."

"This one does."

"No, she does not."

She forced a shrug, "Then I decline."

If looks could kill, she would be a smouldering pile of ash on the floor, courtesy of Mace Windu's stare. But she didn't care. She could endure it. If the Jedi Council could dictate terms to her, she could dictate terms to them. After all, they apparently needed _her_.

Yoda tapped his stick on the floor again. Tyra turned to face the Jedi Master and was surprised to see a small smile on the wizened Jedi Master's face, "Hear your condition, we will."

She bowed politely, "Thank you, Master Yoda. My condition is that Master Nal'ma be allowed to know what my mission is. I will be allowed to plan with him until I leave the Temple." Tyra eyed Master Windu, "Also, I want you to apologize to Master Nal'ma."

Mace gritted his teeth, but Tyra ignored him and turned to face Master Yoda. Silence stretched for several long moments, but she kept her head held high and her hands clasped politely behind her back. She could out wait the Jedi Council. They had things to do. She did not.

Adi Galia smiled grimly, "I can't remember the last Padawan that saw fit to dictate terms to Master Windu and lived to tell the tale."

Mace grimaced, "I suppose that we can accept those conditions."

Tyra resisted the urge to make an overly elaborate bow, "Thank you, Masters. I accept my mission. I'll go and bring in my Master."

* * *

After Mace had gritted out an apology to her Master and described her mission to him, the Twi'lek had been sworn to secrecy. Teff looked not at all pleased that she had been given this mission without being consulted, but he had seemed to be rather proud of her handling of the whole thing. They exited the Jedi Council and entered the turbolift without saying a word to each other.

Finally Teff placed a blue hand lightly on her shoulder, "I'm proud of you for what you did in there."

"I didn't do anything, Master."

"No?" Teff sounded surprised, "You stood up to the Jedi Council. You made Mace Windu apologize, that's not nothing."

"I still accepted their mission," she said tonelessly.

Teff's jaw worked, "While I disagree with how the mission was given to you, I understand why they have selected you to do this mission. I also feel as if someone had to take on this task, as difficult and dangerous as it is." Her Master spoke softly, "I'm proud that you chose to accept this mission. Others would have demurred, would have avoided danger."

"I couldn't turn it down," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't have the words to do it." She swallowed, hard, "I kept thinking that if I turned it down, they'd offer this mission to one of my friends, and I don't want them to do something that I wouldn't do." That was always how she had carried herself, she led by example, always had, always would.

The turbolift reached it's destination and both student and teacher exited and started striding through the wide hallways of the Jedi Temple. Force, she was going to miss this place. Tyra had never really realized how beautiful the Jedi Temple was, it had always just been 'home.' Now it was something that she was giving up for an unknown amount of time.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Library. There is some big meeting taking place in the Grand Hall in twenty minutes, so I figure the Library will be close to deserted. We need to plan out how you are going to do this."

Sure enough, when the two of them reached the Library, the room was deserted. Even Jocasta Nu was not in evidence, and Tyra swore that the chief Librarian only left the Library to sleep. They found a secluded section of the Library and set up their datapads. Tyra sat, while Teff paced the length of the small table at which they had set up shop.

"The first thing we need to do is pack. You'll need clothes, credits and a destination. Would you rather stay on Coruscant or travel somewhere?"

Tyra considered, "I think it makes sense to travel off world. If I was a angry after being kicked out of the Jedi Order, I don't think I'd want to hang around Coruscant."

Teff nodded curtly, "Good point. You need to think of a world that you would want to stay on for a few weeks, it should probably be in the inner rim, as opposed to an outer rim backwater."

"I was thinking I'd go to Tion at first, but the more I think about it, the less appealing it seems." Tion was her homeworld, and had seemed like an appealing destination at first, but it probably wasn't a good choice. For one, as a Jedi from Tion, she was vaguely famous on planet. For another, Tion was a bit of an isolationist world, and it was pretty distant from Coruscant, being in the outer rim. It would have been nice to have gone home, but it wasn't to be.

"How about Commenor? It's just outside the Core worlds, but it's centrally located. Plus, we've been there before so you will have some familiarity at least."

Tyra thought back to the mission that had taken to Commenor. It had gone well, but she had barely remembered much of the planet, it had seemed so...plain, so unremarkable. It was a perfect choice where someone like her could lose herself for a while. "Commenor it is."

Teff sat the chair across from her and went to work. "I'll book you a flight on a ship that will take you to Commenor. Standard Jedi policy is that those who lead the order get their flight paid for and are given a small stipend for the first year after they leave."

Tyra shook her head, "A Jedi that just got kicked out of the Order wouldn't take their credits to take them off planet. They'd look to get a ride with a smuggler or take a discount flight. Remember I'm supposedly angry at the Jedi and the way they've treated me, so I'm not going to take their money."

The Twi'lek glanced up from his datapad, "So do you want to just improvise your route? I can give you some credits but it won't be that much."

"I think I can manage to Commenor, even if I have to play the 'sixteen year old girl trying to get home to her parents card.' Life had taught Tyra that even though she was one of the fiercest and most devastating warriors in the galaxy, that because she looked like a skinny, bookish girl people would often take pity on her. She hated it, but had learned to turn it to her advantage.

"Okay, that's transport. Clothing is next."

"I'll handle it." Tyra was pretty sure that she didn't want to leave in her Jedi robe, so she'd pick out a generic looking jumpsuit from the small room in the lower section of the Temple that had 'civilian' clothes for Jedi that needed them.

"Finances," said Teff. "I can set you up with an account on any world in the Republic, but the funds will come from a Jedi account."

She considered for a moment. It wasn't perfect, but having some trace back to the Jedi Order seemed okay. "That's fine. Put it in one of the big Coruscant banks. I'll transfer it to a bank on Commenor when I get there."

"Anything else that you need?"

"A better plan?" she said

Teff leaned back in his chair, "I wish that I could give it to you. I don't think there is any one thing that you can do to bring this mission to fruition. So you'll be the one making the decisions how to proceed best."

She ran a hand through her hair nervously, "I hate leaving all this to the last moment. I like _plans_. This just seems like wishful thinking. I have to hope that this mysterious figure will contact me, somehow. Am I supposed to hope that he finds my new comlink number? Sends a bouquet of flowers to my apartment?"

"The other Jedi that were contacted were all contacted via the Holonet. We have to assume that it will be similar for you," said Teff.

She sighed, "And after I get contacted?"

Teff stared pointedly at her, "Your mission is to find this person and apprehend him and you have been given a broad leeway as to what actions you can undertake. The only goal you have is to find this person, or at the very least get his identity so that another team of Jedi can find this 'man in a black cloak.'

She slumped in her chair, "This is going to be a fun mission," she grumbled.

"You should probably start packing," said Teff, "Your room will be closed off, but if you wanted to store anything with me, I can keep it in my room for when you return."

 _If I return_ , Tyra almost said. She shook her head, "I'll do that, but I need to have a conversation with someone first."

"Ah," Teff nodded sagely, "Sascha."

She slid slightly lower in her seat "Yeah. I've been avoiding it for so long. I just don't want to do it. So maybe I just...won't."

Teff rocked in his seat for a second, "Tyra, I've been content to stay out of your personal life, because I'm your Master, not your father. But you need to have this conversation with your friend." Teff coiled one of his lekku around his neck, "Have you even stopped to realize how dangerous this mission is?"

"Kind of."

"Tyra. You are going to be attracting the attention of someone who is targeting the Jedi Order directly. If this person finds that you are still a Jedi, they will kill you. I don't know who this person is, or what resources he has, but he has us on the back foot." Teff sighed, "As Jedi we go into situations that bring danger all the time, but we do it as Jedi – we have tremendous cache and we can almost always count on finding allies. You will only have yourself. You are creative and clever, my Padawan, but this is unlike any challenge you've undertaken, and you will need to be at your best. If you are distracted by your feelings for Sascha or regretting not having this conversation, you will not be at your best. Just...talk to him. He is a good boy. He is your friend. It may not be a pleasant conversation, but you need to make sure that this emotional wound that you have heals and does not leave a scar."

That may have been the longest speech that her Master had ever delivered to her. But it was a good one. She stood from her seat, "Okay, I'm going to go find him." _And tell him that I love him_ , she almost said.

"I suggest you talk to his Master first...she'll want to know what is happening. And it might be good to have a...female perspective."

"Aurine intimidates me a bit," she admitted.

Teff barked a laugh, "Today you stared down Mace Windu, and now you are afraid of Aurine Brynar? Aurine isn't the friendliest Jedi, but she is hardly the unfriendliest. Talk to her, she's a good listener."

"You know her well?" she asked. She hadn't thought that Aurine and Teff had crossed paths much.

"I know her reputation," Teff clarified.

"Okay. I'll go talk to her and then talk to Sascha."

"Call me afterwards. I'll see you off tomorrow morning," said Her Master.

"Thank you, Master," she said. She turned and strode purposefully out of the library. This day had been crazy enough already, why not confess to Sascha that she loved him? After all, what was the worst that could happen? Get kicked out of the Jedi Order?

Had Tyra Harker been in a laughing mood she was sure that she would have found that hysterical.


	40. Chapter 39: Tyra's Trials, Part Two

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- It's so much fun to write Tyra, because she's a very different character. She has some girly moments, but overall she's much more of an butt kicker in the Aurine mold than a waif-like indecisive girl. She has that side to her, but it's usually buried far below the 'warrior girl' persona. I think that a certain Sith Lord might be pretty interested in keeping the Jedi's attention focused elsewhere and not on a recently dead (not really) Zabrak apprentice. So maybe old Palpy is pulling the strings?

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways** \- We're going to get to how she met up with Weliss in this next chapter.

A/N - Another Tyra chapter today, which might have been pretty obvious from the title. This will be the last chapter that happened in the past, next chapter we'll be back to Sascha, Tyra, Aurine and Weliss. Still, it should be fun to see what Tyra got up to in her time away from the Jedi. This chapter is a bit different stylistically from the others, so hopefully I haven't messed it up too badly. I just wanted to cover a bunch of ground and this was the easiest way to do so.

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always, follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Tyra's Trials _,_ Part Two**

Tyra Harker started to realize just how many little privileges a Jedi had about three minutes after she left the Jedi Temple. And three days into her journey outside of the Temple, she was not exactly sure how anyone could get through a day without losing their mind.

Case in point - going through customs. Usually, Jedi could avoid going through customs and immigration, because no one wanted to delay Jedi with mindless bureaucracy. Jedi were important people and they were usually on planet doing some urgent mission, not exactly the kind of people you keep waiting. Yet, because of what was apparently an 'unforeseen delay,' she had been in this same line waiting to go through Commenori customs and immigration for the last three hours. Was there anything in the galaxy that was more tedious than being in a line that you couldn't even see the end of? The line alone would have been enough to test anyone's patience, but Tyra was stuck between two groups of beings who were tremendously irritating for vastly different reasons.

The group in front of her in line was a group of four young men that were probably a couple of years older than her. The only redeeming feature of the group was that they were all reasonably attractive. But it wasn't enough to make up for the loud, absolutely inane conversation that all four of them were having. As far as Tyra could tell, the group were hardcore fans of the game of smashball, and they were having an argument about which players should be selected for the upcoming tournament between Commenor and some of the neighboring systems.

Tyra would have thought that even among the most passionate of smashball fans, this was a topic that could have sustained only maybe...fifteen minutes of conversation, but for going on three hours now, it had been the _only_ topic of conversation. Debates raged about the character of players, whether certain players were 'winners' as if one player could solely responsible for winning in a game that featured eleven players on a team. After an hour, of being forced to listen to this conversation, she would have given the four young men every credit that she owned to just shut up. Now, after three hours of the same conversation going back and forth, she was considering whether using the Force to physically shut their mouths could be considered a fair an judicious use of the Force. She suspected not.

The group behind Tyra may or may not have been worse than the young sports fans in front of her. It might have been a tie.

Behind her was an equally obnoxious group of young women, who were having an amazingly vapid conversation about clothes, makeup and jewellery. With the line moving ponderously slowly, the teenaged girls had found the time to open up their suitcases and play dress up. The girls tried on outfit after outfit and applied makeup to each other, all the while holding an indescribably stupid conversation about what boys that they were going to make out with at the party that they were going to tonight.

Tyra wondered if all young women talk like these ones did. While she and the other girls at the Temple had gotten together at times and discussed the various attractive males in the Jedi Order, it had never been as...forward as these girls were being. These girls were talking as if they were going to walk through the door and a horde of cute boys would simply be swarming them, and they, three slightly above average looking girls, would be the belles of the ball. It was maddening to hear people that were around her age just be so out of touch from reality. She just wanted to grab each of them by their shoulders and give each of them a good shake.

When one of the girls asked her if she would take a picture of them with their datapad, Tyra gave them a stare that would have caused most bounty hunters to turn and walk in the opposite direction. Yet these girls were just too vapid or self-absorbed to notice her death stare. She took a picture of three idiotic, stupid girls and handed them back the device like the good Samaritan she was. What she really wanted to do was snap the datapad in half and tell these three idiots that they were a waste of perfectly good air.

Finally, the line got moving again, and just before Tyra was going to lose her mind, she reached a kiosk at customs. A patrol of two security officers passed by, one of them stared at her oddly. She supposed that a sixteen year old travelling unaccompanied, and without much luggage made her somewhat suspicious. A bored, overweight customs officer peered down at her from behind his computer screen, "Passport please," he said in a bored tone.

Tyra handed over her passport. Though she could have gotten a fake passport made at the Jedi Temple, she decided that she would rather travel on her legitimate passport. Of course, nothing identified her as a Jedi, just a normal citizen of the Republic.

"Purpose of your visit to Commenor?"

"I'm, uh, attending Westhays Preparatory School. The study visa is with my passport," she said helpfully.

"Hmmm..." The customs officer gave her a cursory once over. "You are traveling without your parents?"

"They couldn't make it to orientation," she said, "But I have to be there." Technically true, thought Tyra. Her parents couldn't make it to orientation because they didn't have the faintest clue where she was.

"Unusual..." said the officer. Finally he looked at her for more than a moment, "Do you mind if I call the school and confirm your story?"

She waved her hand, "Go ahead. I'm sure Headmaster Tillken will be happy to hear that I've arrived safely."

The officer returned his attention to the screen. Then he glanced back at her, "No luggage?"

She forced an apologetic look on to her face, "It's waiting for me in a storage locker. It was cheaper to send it on a cargo ship than take it with me on the passenger liner."

The officer finally seemed to evaluate her as a human worthy of acknowledging, "Aye, luggage fees are out of control these days. Well, good on you for thinking ahead."

"Gotta save creds anyway you can," she said cheerfully. Force, if she could just end this conversation right now, she'd be a _lot_ happier.

Thankfully, the customs officer seemed to agree, handing her back her passport, "Welcome to Commenor. Please ensure that you do not stay pass the length of your visa."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

And with that, Tyra Harker, citizen of the Republic, had passed through immigration for the first time.

* * *

The apartment Tyra was renting was a small, one-bedroom apartment in a reasonable part of Commenor's capital city, creatively named Commenor City. While the school that she was going to be attending as a part of her cover was in one of the richer areas of town, she couldn't realistically have afforded the rent on a place nearer to the school. So she chose something a bit further from the school that offered public transit that would take her to Westhays Preparatory School for a small fare.

While she didn't really have to go to school, she decided that someone like her, who had been unceremoniously removed from the Jedi Order, would probably try to find some normalcy in her new life. Hence, school. And Westhays had made sense, considering it was supposedly one of the top preparatory schools in the sector.

On her first day of school she put on her school clothes, Westhays Preparatory School, like other old fashioned schools, made its students wear a school uniform, customized for each species, of course. It was just a skirt and a blouse, but Tyra felt like it was unnecessarily skimpy, even though the pleated skirt ended below her knees. That's what you get for wearing monkish robes your entire life, she thought with a smile. At least the clothes looked pretty good on her.

She woke early like she usually did and went through her usual routine. Halfway through, she realized that there wasn't going to be a pre-prepared meal waiting for her in the refectory and hurriedly sorted through her tiny kitchen for something to eat. She managed that feat by cramming a bunch of fruit in her mouth as quickly as possible, and then rushed out the door to catch the hoverbus.

Tyra Harker arrived before school began not by desire, but because her presence had been requested by the Headmaster. The school itself was a sprawling little estate that was kept very well manicured. Even half an hour before school was to begin, she saw students milling around outside talking in little groups. Absurdly, she felt slightly intimidated by the idea that she would have to fit in with these people, whom she had absolutely nothing in common with, besides being the same age.

Gathering her courage, she walked up the stair and through the front door. Immediately on her left was the Headmaster's office. She knocked on the door, and waited outside. A few moments later a voice answered, "Who is it?"

"Tyra Harker...sir."

"Ah yes, we were expecting you." The door swung open to reveal an older gentlemen maybe in his early fifties. He escorted her inside. The room was a nicely appointed office that was a little bit of a mess. Already inside was a middle-aged woman seated at a medium sized table, who if Tyra had to guess, was a teacher.

"Ms. Sparks, this is Tyra Harker, the uh, outstanding student I was telling you about."

The petite woman rose from her chair and offered her hand. Tyra shook it. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Harker."

Usually, anyone who calls her Miss Harker in lieu of calling her by her proper title would have been asking to be on the receiving end of a fierce stare. However, considering how the other woman was just trying to be polite, she simply smiled instead, "A pleasure."

Headmaster Tillken sat behind his chair, "Miss Harker, this is Ms. Sparks and she'll be your homeroom teacher for the academic year. Not just a teacher, she's be your academic guide. So if you have any questions, she'll be the first person to ask. I expect that you might have a few as you are undergoing a...unique transition."

Ms. Sparks faced her and smiled, "We are very proud to have an ex-Jedi among the students here at Westhays Prep."

Tyra forced a smile, "Thanks."

The Headmaster folded his hands together on the table, "Now, I know that this is a, erm, delicate subject, but do you mind telling us why you were let go from the Jedi Order?"

Tyra put her cover story into action, one that she had refined to perfection, "I had a disagreement with my Master. Our relationship broke down, and he recommended that I leave the Jedi. I did. There isn't much more to it."

The Headmaster, of course, wasn't going to drop the questioning there, "May I, ah, inquire as to what the disagreement was over?"

"A boy."

"A boy?" both of the adults repeated.

"Yes. I loved him. My Master didn't like that. End of story," she said flippantly.

Tyra could tell that Ms. Sparks found the idea of being kicked out of the Jedi over a boy was ludicrous, "Well don't worry, we won't be expelling you for that."

"I'm not worried," she said confidently, "and neither should any of you. If I were dangerous, the Jedi would have kept me locked away. I'm just trying to make a fresh start. I'll be just like any other student."

"Hmm yes, about that," said the Headmaster, "We hold your privacy in the strictest of confidence, so if you wish, we will conceal that you were a Jedi."

Tyra shook her head, "No, I'm proud of who I am, there isn't any sense in hiding it."

"Are you sure about this...the other children will probably react...differently to you," asked Ms. Sparks kindly.

She shrugged, "Whatever."

The two adults shared a look, "We also wanted to talk to you about your Force powers. We ask you not to use them on any students or faculty."

Tyra blinked, "Of course," she said, legitimately offended by the question.

Headmaster Tillken shuffled through some flimsi that he had laying around, "Our athletics director asked if you would be interested in joining any of the school sports teams."

For a moment, visions of athletic scholarships and hundreds of medals danced in front of her eyes. "Uh...I'm not sure I know the rules to many sports. Besides, it would probably be unfair to everyone if I did so. No, I'll just be concentrating on my studies."

"I'm sure he'll find that answer logical but disappointing. Is there any questions you have for us?" asked the Headmaster.

Considering you are only here to make sure I don't go mad with boredom, no, thought Tyra. Instead of saying that, she smiled, "I'll be sure to ask if any come up."

"We have one more for you then," said the Headmaster, "though it might be slightly uncomfortable."

Tyra's eyes narrowed, "I'm listening."

Headmaster Tillken looked at her with a kind expression, "We wanted to ask if you wanted us to make contact with your parents. You are, of course..."

Tyra Harker was too stunned to even listen to the rest of the question. Her parents. Two beings she hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about were now at the forefront of her mind. While she knew that it was possible that her friends could find out about her 'defection' from the Jedi, she knew that they would eventually know the truth, that she hadn't left the Jedi Order. Her parents on the other hand, would probably find out that she had left through some sort of press release and if she perished during this mission, which she suspected was a possibility, they would think that their daughter died a disgraced failure. The name Tyra Harker would be worthless.

The carefully constructed world that Tyra had constructed for herself after being assigned this mission started to crack.

Jedi children almost never thought of their parents. Why would they? Most, including her, never had even had the vaguest memories of her parents. The Jedi Order had been their life, and there had been no time to think about what her parents may or may not have thought of her. But now, she had the time. All she had was a vague plan of action. She could put out a call to her parents. Talk to them, laugh with them. And it wouldn't even jeopardize the mission.

Except, she realized, it would.

Tyra wasn't made of stone. There was no way that she could have just a short conversation with her parents. They'd want to see her, of course. And she couldn't deny them that. And she doubted that she would be able to keep her story straight in front of her parents and tell them that she left the Jedi Order for a boy. Maybe she could. They were just strangers after all...

Force, Tyra, four days into this mission and you are already a mess.

When she finally was able to focus on what was in front of her again, she realized that she was being stared at. "Miss Harker are you all right?" asked Ms. Sparks

She was unable to get any words from her brain to her mouth so she continued to stare straight ahead, dumbstruck.

The teacher touched her lightly on the arm, "Miss Harker?"

Tyra recoiled from the touch and stood on shaky legs, "Sorry. Just...don't call my parents. Please." She headed for the door and then realized that she had no idea where she was going.

Fortunately, the kind, sweet, Ms. Sparks rescued her, "It's just about time for our first class. I'll show you the way."

* * *

School, Tyra Harker found, was a joke. And not a funny one. It all started from her first introduction. Her class was a small one, around twenty students, and the classroom that she was in made the classrooms at the Jedi Temple look positively threadbare. The class itself was mostly human, there was a Zabrak, a Twi'lek and a pair of Togruta.

Everyone got the chance to introduce themselves to their new classmates. It all seemed like pointless platitudes, 'Hi I'm Whatshisname, and I'm a big fan of (insert name of big name band), I also enjoy (pointless hobby).'

Tyra didn't intend to follow the same script. When it came to her turn she stood, "Hi I'm Tyra Harker, and I was a Jedi."

There was an awkward silence as everyone in the room turned and looked at her. Then there was laughter.

Tyra closed her eyes, realizing that no one was going to believe that she was a Jedi. She could try to make the best of it, offer another joke, another one liner, play it off as if she was mocking the whole exercise. But she couldn't. She couldn't find that level of dishonesty within her.

Ms. Sparks looked like she was about to say something, but Tyra silenced her with a short shake of her head. The introductions moved on.

And now Tyra Harker wasn't a Jedi at all, she was just sixteen and alone.

Tyra had been hoping that attending school would do two things. One was to act as part of her cover. On that count things were going okay.

The other thing school was supposed to be doing for her was keeping her from being bored. On that account it was failing horribly.

She quickly learned that although Westhays Preparatory School was promoted as one of the top school of its class, that she was way, way too qualified to be here.

These 'exceptionally gifted' students that she was with? They were smart, no doubt. But she was learning things in class now that she had learned at the Temple years ago. The only challenge that Tyra had in class was staying awake during it. She quickly established herself as the best student in class, which had probably been a mistake, because it had set her apart and made her different, well, more different than she obviously was.

At the Temple, while she wasn't popular, she had her clanmates that were her close friends, including, of course, Sascha. And she had numerous other acquaintances and lesser friends that she was comfortable hanging around with, including someone like Nara who was threatening to become one of her closer female friends. Here, no one wanted to be her friend. In fact, no one wanted to even be associated with her.

At Westhays Preparatory School, she was now the 'weird girl' who seemed to know everything and had accounted herself as a Jedi on the first day of school. She was the only one that contradicted and corrected teachers during lessons. Apparently, in 'normal' school, teachers didn't slip in contradicting information into their lectures, to see if their students were paying attention. So when Tyra interrupted their math teacher to discuss what was obviously an incorrect formula with him, she expected to be rewarded. Instead she had been reprimanded, even though she had been correct!

So, for a month, a typical day for her went like this: Go to school. Excel at school without even trying because she was being taught things she had learned four years ago. Eat lunch alone. Return to class. Excel. Try not to fall asleep. End of school. Return home. Make dinner. Browse the Holonet for a while. Exercise. Stare at the walls for an hour. Then go to sleep.

The only real task that she had to do was to publish an entry on her Holonet journal, which she had entitled, 'My life as a Jedi (so far)' in which she (surprise!) talked about her life as a Jedi. She didn't include much important information, manly just stories and anecdotes, but she made sure that her writing came off as slightly bitter and critical. It was hard at first to criticize the thing that she was a part of. Then, as she wrote each entry, it seemed to go easier. It was easier to find that sense of despair of abandonment that she was actually feeling and type it into words.

If she had been able to self-diagnose herself, she probably would have realized that she was suffering from a bout of depression.

It was certainly a relief, when two months into her time on Commenor, she was finally contacted.

* * *

After another hellaciously boring day Tyra was heading home from school. She had decided to walk home today, partially because the weather was nice and partially because the longer it took to get home, the less time she had to be bored. Recently, she had found a tiny, seedy, bar that didn't appear to care that she was obviously underage. She never drank to excess, it was just a nice way to...pass the time. Time seemed to just move faster when she was there. People at the bar were friendlier too.

After a quick stop over at the bar, she tossed a few creds onto the counter top and made her way back to her tiny apartment. Waiting for her just outside of her door was a small package. In a variety of languages it declared that this package was only to be opened by Tyra Harker, and it could only be opened via fingerprint analysis. Tyra hefted the package experimentally. It didn't weigh very much. That didn't mean it wasn't dangerous though.

She stepped through her front door and locked it behind her. Come to think of it, how many people even knew where she was? And how many of them would have access to her fingerprint? Confused, she placed her index finger on the indicated area of the package. A small scanner beeped, and a computerized voice declared, "Confirmed, package received by intended recipient."

How very odd, thought Tyra. She ripped through the thin packaging and saw what was in side – a small holotransmitter.

She stared at the device for a moment. It looked like one of those single use transmitters, it was pretty basic, just room for one, full holo recording. It was the type of device that you sent someone if you didn't expect a reply.

She put the device on her messy kitchen table, sweeping aside useless clothes that she had left strewn around, and hit the play button.

A hologram of a figure dressed in black emerged from the transmitter, she couldn't detect any of the features of the man, or woman, as they were hidden by their cowl. The figure in the black cloak, Tyra thought excitedly, finally he made contact.

"Greetings, Tyra Harker," said a male, aristocratic voice. "You do not know me, but I know you." Despite herself, Tyra felt a little chill in the air.

The man continued, "I've been watching you for some time. See, I believe that you and I may have similar goals. I believe both you and I see the Jedi Order for what it truly is. An old calcified tumour that sits deep in the heart of the Republic. And it needs to be pushed to change. The only way that it can happen is if someone challenges them. I intend to challenge the Jedi Order in a way that few do. And I need like-minded individuals like you to help me do so. Forgive me for being vague, but the Jedi have spies everywhere."

"You have no idea," Tyra said.

Obviously undeterred by her interruption the man continued, "If you are interested in hearing more and interested about what I can offer you, I will have a contact of mine meet you at the Keesage Park is New Kalickwood in three days time." The figure bowed his head slightly, "I hope I will get to meet your acquaintance."

"I do too," Tyra said out loud. Well, that was easy, thought Tyra with a spring in her step. All that she had done was be very, very bored for a couple of months.

* * *

Three days later, Tyra was Keesage Park, waiting for the man in the hooded figure in black's contact. It didn't take long for Tyra to realize that she had no idea who she was looking for. Eventually she figured that whoever had been sent to meet with her would be able to find her. Tyra ambled around the picturesque park, thinking that the waterfall that was on her left was vaguely reminiscent of the Jedi Temple. Remembering the Jedi Temple felt harder these days. She didn't remember places or rooms anymore, she just remembered people. Sascha she remembered most of all, but her feelings towards him were, diminishing somewhat. Right now, it was easier to see him as the ever devoted, ever loyal friend instead of an object of physical desire. She still desired him, she was honest enough to admit, but she suspected she was in the 'falling out of love' phase of her attraction to him.

She watched the happy families bouncing around the park. All different species, and ages were all equally happy to be in the park, removed from the daily grind of their jobs, and their lives. It was a beautiful reminder of why she was doing this, why she was risking her life trying to be someone that she wasn't.

Tyra walked slowly around the park, her thoughts to herself.

She barely even noticed that evening had set. It was only the park lights coming on that cued her in. Realizing that she had walked too far from her initial starting point, she started heading back

She was about halfway out of the park when an agitated young Bothan came rushing over to her, "Miss, Miss! Can you please help?"

"Help whom? With what?"

"No time!" The Bothan ran off towards a slightly dilapidated maintenance shed off to the side.

Tyra took off after the Bothan, who disappeared around the corner of the shed. She turned the corner and ran right into a Force push. Tyra's back slammed against the wall of the shed, stunning her. She didn't even see the punch that dropped her onto her butt.

Woozy, Tyra snapped back to full awareness to see a red-bladed lightsaber pointed at her chest. She looked up at a Bothan in a dark cloak, staring down at her with intense blue eyes. He's a Jedi, she realized, or a least a Force user. How had he managed to hide like that? She should have been able to sense the Force push coming!

"I'm Weliss," he said. "I work for a mutual friend of ours. I'm going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them honestly. Otherwise this will be a short meeting."

Tyra was still a bit too disorientated to feel the proper amount of fear for this situation, "Where'd you get the red lightsaber? And how did you sneak up on me?"

Weliss hefted the blade, "I ask the questions here."

"Uh...okay, could you repeat the questions?" She was still trying to get over the shock and wooziness of the initial attack. Her lightsaber wasn't on her as she had gotten into the habit of leaving it at home, in a locked box. So that wasn't an option. In fact it didn't seem like she had many options.

"Why did you come here tonight?" the Bothan asked.

"I was invited."

"I know. I'm your contact. Why did you come?"

Tyra wiped her face with her hand, "I liked what I heard."

"And?"

"I want to take action against the Jedi."

Weliss laughed, "No you don't. You're a terrible liar, Miss Harker."

Tyra had always been reasonably good at bending the truth, but Weliss was correct in saying that she was a bad liar, "I want the Jedi to hurt for what they did to me," she said.

Weliss growled dangerously, "If you lie to me one more time, I'll be forced to end this. Now WHY DO YOU WANT TO ACT AGAINST THE JEDI!"

Tyra pressed herself as far back against the wall as was physically possible. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide and no way to fight her way out of this. So she tried something desperate, "I'm in love with a boy! I want him, I need him, I'll do anything for him. Please." Tyra's panic this time was real. She hoped by showing Weliss a real emotion – and she did truly love Sascha, no matter how she wanted to define it – that he would see that she wasn't lying to him.

Weliss waited out a long moment and disengaged his lightsaber. Relieved, slumped further down the wall, "Good. Honesty. You want this boy? You love him?"

"Sascha Whitestar. He's a Padawan, a clanmate..."

"I don't want his life story," Weliss said dismissively.

"He's the love of my life," she said defiantly. As long as this was going to be her cover story, she might as well commit fully to it.

"Yes. Love. An odd thing for the Jedi to ban." Weliss shrugged, "What are you willing to do to get this Sascha Whitebear?"

"Whitestar!"

"I'll call him Whitebeard if I want to."

She snarled, "Don't disrespect..." Weliss' lightsaber snapped back on, and she scrambled backwards, away from the blade. She racked her brain for what a lovesick young girl would do, "I just want him," she brought her hands to her face and started crying.

The Bothan evaluated her, "You are not exactly what I was looking for. My Master, or employer, if you will, has a plan he'd like me to execute, and I need an accomplice. A Jedi accomplice. And you fit the bill."

She bowed her head, "I'll do whatever you want. I just want Sascha. That's my price."

Tyra could feel Weliss reach out with the Force and inspect her mind, trying to determine how honest she was currently being. Tyra's mental defences had always been strong, that's just what came with being a strong willed young woman. She let Weliss poke and prod at her thoughts, but didn't let him find the deeper truths.

Weliss however, seemed satisfied and disengaged his lightsaber, "I suppose you'll do. Come with me."

Tyra picked herself off the ground, and rose shakily to her feet, "Where are we going?"

"Bothawui."

"How can I trust you? How can I even know if you can get me what I want?"

"You don't." Weliss turned to face her and let his intense eyes blaze at her, "But I've seen what my employer can do. I doubted him at first. Now I don't doubt him at all. I tell you this – if you want this boy to be yours, he can make it happen."

"Can I meet your employer?" she asked innocently.

Weliss grinned, "Not yet. Prove your loyalty to me and we'll see how it goes."

And with that, Tyra Harker was in. Possibly in over her head, but in.


	41. Chapter 40: Hard Truths

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- You really have to stop reading my mind :P. Tyra's a good undercover person, specifically because she doesn't think she's a good undercover agent. She'll release some pent up frustration in this chapter though. I like the idea of Tyra kind of losing track of herself (and I toyed with making that a bigger theme in this book), I just couldn't get it to work without devoting significantly more time to it, which would have slowed the pacing down considerably.

A/N - Back to Sascha for this one. I actually intended this chapter to feature part of the inevitable showdown, but the conversation between Sascha and Tyra just kept going, until it basically had to be its own chapter. I don't intend to space out the final fight much, if at all, so it should be resolved in one, large chapter.

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always, follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Hard Truths**

Sascha Whitestar was sensing that there was a theme developing on this mission. And the theme was him waking up sluggish and with obvious signs of head trauma. This one was the worst though. Not in terms of the actual injuries sustained, but because of who they were inflicted by.

How had Tyra become so lost? And what could he do to bring her back? He had been sure, totally and utterly sure, that Tyra wouldn't hurt him. And then she did. She had kicked him in the head, knocking him out cold, even when he had been kneeling, defenceless before her. That wasn't the Tyra Harker he had grown up with. That wasn't the Tyra Harker that he cared for.

He groaned and sat up, taking a look around at his surroundings. The room in which he was in was small and damp. Stone walls surrounded him and a heavy iron gate was the only door. It seemed like he had been sent back in time and placed in an a jail cell from a millennia or two ago..

Half-heartedly he made some plans for escaping, but his brain was still a bit too addled to make much sense of anything. Not improving things were the stuncuffs latched on to his wrists, which were shooting the familiar pulses of electricity up his arms at irregular intervals. Frankly, he wasn't sure what the point of escaping would be. He was cold, tired and alone. Again. This time there was no spirit of Tyra Harker to give him the willpower to carry on. He was just done. Totally, completely, irrevocably done. He just wanted everything to...go away.

He got as comfortable as he could on the cold, damp, stone floor and tried to sleep.

The sound of approaching footsteps awakened him an undetermined amount of hours later. Sascha decided to play dead. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing soft and rhythmic as if he was still in a deep sleep.

The approaching footsteps stopped in front of his door and he heard a key being inserted into the lock. He opened his eyes to see who was going to be joining him. It was Tyra. She was still dressed in her tight, black jumpsuit. Upon further review, he hated the way that it looked on her. He decided that she looked much better in her beige Jedi robes. At least that version of Tyra didn't take up with dark Jedi and knock him unconscious.

"Don't you dare come near me, Tyra," he snarled.

Tyra stopped opening the door. "If you want, Sascha," she said softly. Tyra's body language had changed, she no longer carried herself in an arrogant manner, she just seemed like the usual Tyra. A Tyra that was deeply unsure of what she was doing.

Probably a trick, he decided, "Go away, I don't want to see you ever again."

Tyra closed her eyes and looked pained, "If that's what want, Sascha, then that's what I'll do. But I have to tell you some things first."

"I don't want to hear any more of your lies."

Tyra lifted her chin defiantly, "Then I won't lie."

Sascha barked a bitter, defeated laugh, "I never thought I'd have to ask you to be honest with me Tyra. But these last few months…has anything you that told me been the truth?"

"I'm telling the truth now."

"Oh. _Now_ you are telling the truth. Well okay then, I _totally_ believe you," Sascha said sarcastically.

Tyra looked away, "Sascha don't make this harder for me."

He pointed at his chest, "I'm not the one that is making things hard. I just want you to answer my question. Over these last months, what have you told me that is true? It's hard to tell if anything has been, or if I've just been at the centre of some game you are playing."

Tyra glanced downwards, "My feelings for you were true, are true. I told you all about them"

"But you hid them from me," he said accusingly.

"I did. It was a mistake."

That froze him for a second, Tyra rarely admitted that she made mistakes. Still, one confession was not enough to make up for her actions, "What about that sparring session that we had, did you really let me win?"

Tyra closed her eyes, "It was like I said, Aurine approached me and I followed through. I let you win."

"That hurts me, you know."

"I know."

"And yet you still did it."

Tyra looked at him defiantly, "Sometimes, we have to hurt the ones that we love."

"Ah, so that explains why you kicked me in the head then, you were just helping me," he said sarcastically.

"You know that I didn't want to do that."

"Do I? Do I really?"

Tyra looked like she might just wilt in place. "I've really lost you, haven't I?" she whispered to herself.

Sascha refused to bite on what was obviously some playacting from Tyra, "Why are you even here? Don't you have some sort of Dark Jedi meeting to be at?"

Tyra bit her lip, and seemed not to want to respond to his question, "I need your help," she said at last.

Sascha chuckled, "Why would I help you, Tyra? Padawan Harker I'll help. Tyra...no."

"Because if you open your eyes for one teeny second, you'll realize that I'm actually on your side," Tyra shouted.

"I don't know what side you are on Tyra, but it's sure as hell not my side."

Exasperated, Tyra punched her own thigh, "Then tell me what I can do to prove it do you, and I'll do it!"

Though Sascha didn't have access to the Force, he was beginning to suspect that Tyra was being honest, and she did need his help. Which was a dramatic turn of events from what had happened the last time they had been together. Tyra had just changed. Her mannerisms, her words, the way she carried herself - this was the Tyra Harker he'd grown up with. His heart rejoiced at the idea of Tyra not being a tool of a dark Jedi, but his head wouldn't allow himself to get carried away quite yet. Tyra had to prove herself to him.

"I want my lightsaber back." His lightsaber was dangling from Tyra's right hip, and it certainly did not belong there.

Tyra unhooked his lightsaber and tossed it to him. He tried to catch it in his manacled hands, but failed. The lightsaber clattered around for a moment. He could easily crawl over in and grab it, but he kept his attention on Tyra. "Next, I want you to toss me your lightsaber."

"Sascha..."

"Nope, I need to see complete and utter compliance, Tyra."

Obviously reluctant, Tyra tossed her lightsaber lightly into his cell. "Anything else?"

"Stuncuffs off. Now."

Tyra hesitated, "Weliss might be able to sense that they've been removed."

"Don't care. I've had enough of these things."

Tyra held her hands up, "Okay, if you want, Sascha." She quickly entered his cell and went about removing the painful and annoying cuffs from his wrists.

He massaged his wrists, "Good. Now I want you to sit across from me and tell me everything. No lies. No half-truths. No omissions."

Tyra continued to look wounded by the way that he was treating her. Sascha didn't care. He was bloody tired of being used, kicked around and beat up. He was tired of his best friend acting like she was madly in love with him one moment, and punting him in the head the next. He was just tired of all of this. He wanted honesty or something close to it.

"Sascha. I'll sit across from you and tell you everything, but I want you to know that I currently have no idea what Weliss is going to do to your Master and when."

Weliss had Aurine? The thought alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine. He had to get his Master out of the hands of Weliss. He hadn't the faintest idea how to do that at this point, but at least he now had a goal. "I can't care about that right now," he lied. "I need to know what the hell is going on. Then, maybe I can decide to trust you again."

"I've totally torched our friendship, haven't I?"

"Torched, blown up, thrown into a crater. Pick your euphemism. Now start with your story. If I sense even a slight bit of dishonesty from you, this is over."

Tyra paled at the thought of having lost his friendship. She rocked in her seated position, obviously composing herself, "Look, I told you that I was going on a dangerous mission, right? Well this is the dangerous mission. I was told to find a mysterious person that is inciting ex-Jedi against the Jedi Order itself. So, to do so, I went undercover. I 'left' the Jedi Order as a ruse to lure in this person who was finding these ex-Jedi into contacting me. I spent two months minding my own business on Commenor before I was contacted. My contact was Weliss."

Plausible, so far. "So Weliss is behind everything."

Tyra shook his head, "No, he isn't. He receives instructions from a figure dressed in a black cloak. _That's_ who I'm after. But Weliss won't even give me an introduction. I need to get...something out of this investigation, we might not get another chance to find this person. So, I did some things I'm not proud of...but only to get closer to finding this person."

"So you allowed Weliss to capture both me and my Master on the vague chance that you could talk to this figure in black?" Sascha was pretty outraged at Tyra's decision making, if it were true. Doing all she could to find this person was good, putting another Jedi's health at risk in doing so...didn't sit right with him.

Tyra stood and shouted at him, "Sascha, I don't know what I'm doing! Do you think I'm the kind of person that is good at sneaking around and finding out information? No! I'm doing the best I can with the support that I have, which is none! I've tried and tried to get Weliss to give me any information that he can about this mysterious figure, but he always shuts me down. I hoped that defeating both you and Aurine would make him finally trust me...but he still doesn't. Now I need your help. Because Weliss is as insane as a Wookiee on spice and I can't handle him alone."

"Why should I believe any of this? It's probably just another trap."

Tyra grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes, "Sascha, you've known me since I was four. You know that I've always tried to protect you. Even when you haven't needed it. So when I had to fight you, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But I did it because if I didn't prove myself to Weliss right there and then, everything I had done, all the questionable decisions that I made, all of it would have been worthless. But I won't let Weliss harm you, and I won't let him harm Aurine. I can't let that be on my conscience. I just...can't." Tyra looked away and appeared to be on the verge of tears.

Sascha considered Tyra, considered everything that he knew about her. He hadn't thought that Tyra was capable of this level of deception, his friend was generally straight forward and direct and didn't have time to play games. Could she be telling the truth here? Could she be on some sort of absurdly deep cover mission for the Jedi Council? It seemed unlikely, but possible.

Still, it was hard to ignore his most recent memory of fighting and losing to Tyra. That was the sort of thing that was very difficult to ignore.

He made his decision.

"I believe you."

Tyra sagged back into a seated position, "Thank the Force," she muttered.

When it came right down to it, he simply wanted to believe Tyra, and if she had set him up for some sort of final, devastating deception, well, he'd die a very, very disappointed and heartbroken young man. Besides, it felt good to trust Tyra. Trusting Tyra was something he had done since the age of four, and he didn't want to abandon it here at sixteen. Still there were important matters to attend to now. "Is there any chance that if we subdue Weliss that we can make contact with this mysterious figure?"

"That's my hope, Sascha. But first, we need to focus on the most important thing – getting Aurine away from that madman."

"How is she?"

Tyra bit her lip, "She's been kept unconscious, drugged, like the ones I have supposedly been giving you. So she'll be a non-factor if we fight. But she's fine, physically speaking. Weliss has some sort of revenge plot that he's putting into motion, but so far he hasn't hurt her. I think that is going to change very soon."

"If he hurts my Master..." Sascha clenched his hands.

"You can't be angry, Sascha. I've learned a lot about the dark side over the past months, and you have to be _very_ careful about it."

Sascha knew that his friend was right, "You're right, Tyra."

"We need Weliss alive, anyway, because he's our main lead to our mysterious figure. I'm not even sure he's beyond saving," she said.

Sascha shot Tyra a look, "Weliss? He's a maniac? He needs to be thrown into an isolation cell in a maximum security prison."

Tyra shook her head, "He's angry and hurt and alone. And he's lashing out the only way he knows how. Remember, Sascha – he hasn't actually killed or hurt anyone. If he's a maniac, he's a principled one."

"You sound like you know what you are talking about," he said sympathetically. He didn't exactly know what kind of sacrifices that Tyra had made to get this far, but he knew that they probably were big ones. Perhaps, like Weliss, Tyra felt that sense of abandonment from the Jedi Order after she 'left.'

"Okay. Can we move on to planning to rescue your Master?"

Sascha wasn't quite ready to move on quite yet, "One last question. I couldn't sense you in the Force, even though we were on the same planet. How is that possible? You know that we can usually contact each other over large distances."

Tyra looked chagrined, "Oh, yeah, that. Weliss taught me how to conceal myself in the Force. Not completely, as you could sense me when you saw me, but enough that it prevents the sort of long-range connections in the Force that say 'Oh hey, another Jedi is in the area.' I have to admit, it scared the hell out of me when I first felt you arrive on planet, because I was sure that you were going to find me and blow my cover."

"Guess Weliss' cloaking technique works pretty well then," he said.

"It's useful," she admitted.

"I thought I sensed you once. At Ranek Gra'lya House, where those two guards were kidnapped."

"You probably did sense me," Tyra acknowledged, "My control slipped ever so slightly when Weliss and I were breaking in. I released those two guards that we abducted like three days ago, by the way – told them to keep quiet. Anyway, that's not really important right now. We need to come up with a plan, and fast."

He nodded, "I'm listening."

"Okay, so, here's my half-thought out plan. Weliss is upstairs with Aurine, doing...whatever. I need an excuse to have you with me when we confront Weliss. If we just waltz up there together, he'll know something is up. We need to be subtle."

"With you so far."

Tyra looked up at him and winced, "I...was thinking of poisoning you,"

"Like...in general, or right now?"

Tyra smirked at him, "Very funny. No, right now. See I held on to the tablets that I was supposed to be drugging you with. Now that they've been out in the open for a while, I think they won't make you sluggish, it'll just give you a high fever."

"Wait, wait wait, You were supposed to be drugging me?"

"I was. I put you in a healing trance instead."

"Thanks."

"Anyway, about my plan..."

"You looked up what would happen if this drug was taken out of refrigeration?" he asked

"Yeah, I consulted with six different medical professionals," Tyra said sarcastically. "No, I just remember hearing that if you left this drug out in the heat too long, it would give you a fever, a pretty bad one."

Sascha eyed Tyra suspiciously, "Are you sure this won't just...kill me?"

Tyra looked skyward, "I'm not sure at all. But you have to know that even if I was deceiving you, you know I have more class, more moral fiber than to poison you, Sascha. But I'm not going to make you do this, we'll just have to try to come up with something better."

"What about just walking up and confronting Weliss?"

Tyra blew out a long breath, "That would be great, if it would work. It would spare me taking a big risk with my best friend's life. But up there...it's like Weliss' little lair, he controls everything. He's got holocams everywhere. If we try to just waltz in together, he'll know something is up immediately. Hell, he might know that something is up right now!"

"Is there a holocam in here?

"No. I checked."

"And do you have a better plan than poisoning me?"

Tyra looked exasperated, she stood and paced in her usual intense manner, "I've been trying to think of something less crazy than poisoning my best friend, but I haven't come up with a better idea that can actually deceive Weliss for the amount of time we need to get close to him and Aurine."

Sascha considered for a brief moment, this whole quote, unquote, 'plan' was half-baked and was barely a plan at all. It was more of an idea of a plan. Nonetheless, he felt that the less time that Aurine spent with Weliss, the better.

"Tyra, how much time has passed since we fought?"

She winced, "Two days."

"And Weliss has had Aurine for two whole days!" he shouted. "Why are we in a rush now?"

"Because Weliss told me that his 'demonstration' is coming soon."

Sascha felt shivers race down his spine, "Just give me the pill thing. I don't care if this plan sucks, I just care that it is a plan."

"You are sure?"

"Tyra, if the roles were reversed, and you were talking to Aurine with my life being in danger, what do you think that she would do?"

"She'd do anything to help you, if she could," Tyra said softly.

"So that's what I'm going to do."

Tyra withdrew a small, purplish pill from one of the pockets of her jumpsuit, "It's yours if you want it."

Sascha hesitated for a moment and then grabbed it out of Tyra's outstretched hand and swallowed it quickly. He waited for a moment, for some reason he expected to feel instantly noxious. "I've detected a problem in our plan."

Tyra's eyes widened to an almost comic size, "Oh _kriff_. We are idiots, aren't we?"

He nodded, "Yeah, if this works…it's not going to work right away."

Tyra stood and paced the cell, " _Kriff, krifff, krifff, krifff, kriff_. I'm such an _idiot_."

"What other medical emergency could I have? Something that moves more quickly than an illness?"

"I could stab you…I suppose."

"Something slightly less insane?"

Tyra flopped dramatically on to her back, "I don't know. Maybe we just wait it out?"

"I mean you could go check out what Weliss is doing and then come back, hopefully I'll be more sick."

Tyra shook her head, "We need to hit the sweet spot where you are actually sick, but can still fight. If we wait too long, you'll have such a high fever that you'll be useless."

Sascha considered for a moment, "Is there any way to get this…poison to work faster?"

Tyra covered her face with her hands, "Get your heart beating faster, raise your body temperature, that would get the poison moving through your system quicker." Tyra barked a laugh, "You know, I just thought of way that we could do that."

"How?"

"We could kiss."

"Well, my heart started beating faster even at the mention of a kiss, so I think it's an effective idea, although not necessarily a good one." Sascha's heart certainly was beating rather quickly at the mere idea of kissing Tyra. The fact that she had offered to do so somewhat seriously was...surprising, but perhaps it shouldn't have been considering her avowed feelings for him.

Tyra looked vaguely disappointed, "Totally fair," she said, but her face told a different story.

"I didn't say no."

His best friend nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Like don't let me force you into this."

Sascha carefully considered his words, "I think, that considering we are confronting a crazed dark Jedi, we might as well go in there with no regrets. If it has an additional benefit as well, then that's good too."

Tyra crept slightly closer to him, "I would really like to have my first kiss with you," she admitted.

Sascha, for the first time noticed that Tyra is wearing lipstick. It's a subtle shade, not too different from the usual pink, but it looks _really_ good on her. He leans towards her, "I think we should do it then..."

The two Jedi come together, both uncertain and cautious, but also excited about a moment that has been a long time in coming. He wrapped his arms around Tyra and leans into her, searching for her soft, warm lips. Tyra leaned into him with all of her trademark intensity, and the physical connection begins.

It starts soft, tentative. For all their training for being guardians of the Republic, there had been no time to learn about how to do such seemingly mundane things as kissing your significant other. Still, some things can be learned from watching the Holonet, and some things are just natural.

Their emotional excitement of their first kiss whirled around in the Force, spurring them on to make the embrace longer, more passionate. Tyra pushed him down softly, and placed herself delicately on top of him, her lips still locked against his. She tastes like the sweetest fruit he's ever tasted. Sascha kisses her back harder, wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her as close to him as he can, and wills this moment to last forever.

Eventually they break apart, both breathing hard. Tyra, embarrassed, rolls off of him. Sascha made a show of checking his pulse, "Well, my heart is _definitely_ beating faster now, thanks."

Tyra smiled, in a way he could only describe as 'sexy.' "Mine too."

Sascha suddenly felt sweat break out on his forehead. Odd. He didn't think kissing had that much of a physical effect on him. Then he began to feel noxious. "I think whatever you gave me is kicking in," he said.

Tyra put a hand to his forehead, "Yeah you're burning up. Damn, that went really quickly. Maybe you are just allergic to kissing pretty girls."

Sascha, now feeling sicker by the second, forced a smile, "Don't even joke about that. That would be the worst allergy ever."

Tyra stood, "Well, this deception better have been worth it." She paused and looked at him, concerned, "Sascha you are really pale...this will definitely fool Weliss."

He was beginning to feel slightly lightheaded, "Let's do this now, before I get sicker."

"Once more into the breach, my friend?"

He looked into Tyra's bright, energetic eyes, "You know I'll always fight with you, Tyra."

Tyra embraced him quickly in a brief, friendly hug, "I'm just glad I didn't lose you."

"Me too. Let's go save my Master."


	42. Chapter 41: Showdown

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- I like the idea of Tyra Harker, Sith hunter. I have her arc planned out, buuut there might be some room for some of what you mentioned. As for the snag - there is always a snag! That's half the fun! As for whether Sascha saw the real Tyra when he was captured by Weliss...he was! Great catch! I'm actually going to touch on that in about...two chapters, but again, amazing catch.

 **SeraphZora -** I was actually considering having them not kiss for a while. I sent it to my friend who has been doing some beta reading for me and she was like 'You took out the kiss? Why the hell would you do that?' So I put it back in. A good decision, I think. Someone much smarter than I said 'Establish what you are going to do in the 1st chapter, and spend 50 establishing the tension.'

 **RedHairing326** \- Thanks for the review, I'm happy to keep providing more content!

 **IonTheChosenOne** \- I know what its like to be busy in school. The nice thing about having a steady 9-5 is that I know that I have a couple hours each day to write. As for what is going to happen in this chapter...well you'll get to see for yourself down below (your guess is a good one though).

A/N - So this is an everything happens chapter. So hold on for the ride!

Quick warning that there is a slightly elevated amount of violence in this chapter - nothing you wouldn't see in a Star Wars movie, but I thought it would be good to be upfront about it.

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always, follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 41: Showdown  
**

Tyra Harker, head still abuzz from the kiss that she had just shared with Sascha, was watching her friend's condition rapidly deteriorate. First he had started sweating, and now he was paling quickly. If anyone took one look at him, they'd certainly see a sick, feverish young man. While it was all part of her plan, she was a bit surprised at how fast it was moving.

Still, just looking at Sascha conjured a lot of very powerful emotions, one of which she had just indulged in. She had kissed Sascha! And he had kissed her back! While a small part of her brain was lecturing her on how stupid she had been and how she was supposed to have been 'getting over' Sascha, it was being drowned out cascade of fireworks that were going off inside her head. Their kiss had been...well, short of magical perhaps, but certainly the next rung down. She had loved everything about it. She had loved the way that he had pulled her in closer, so that she could press against him more tightly. Empirically she had no idea if their kiss had been, 'good' or 'bad.' She wondered, if years later she would look back and wince at how incompetent she had been at kissing the object of her teenaged desire.

But their kiss hadn't been about technique, it had been about years of pent up emotions.

Her first kiss had come from Sascha. That felt right. That _was_ right.

Tyra wasn't stupid or naive enough to think that they'd now go, run off and be together forever, but it had been a moment...maybe even a necessary moment. She hadn't wanted to live her life without knowing how Sascha had really felt about her. But now she did. Now she would always have that memory of kissing and being kissed by Sascha Whitestar.

With a great effort of will, she clawed her focus away from the pleasant past and focused on an unknown future.

"I'm going to carry you up to Weliss' floor, okay? Once we leave this little section of this fortress, we may or may not be monitored, so you have to play along, yes? Just play dead, basically."

Sascha nodded, "I put my life in your hands, Tyra." He paused, "Wait, you said you are going to carry me?"

Tyra put her hands on her hips, "Are you suggesting that I can't?"

"No...I guess I always saw myself as someone that would be carrying you, instead of the other way around."

"So patriarchal," she said in a mocking tone

Sascha smiled, "Sue me."

Despite his slight verbal protest, Sascha didn't resist at all as she scooped him up in her arms. Tyra was immediately glad that Sascha was not very tall or heavy for a male his age, because if he had been heavier, she wasn't sure she'd be able to carry him for the requisite amount of time. Still, despite her small size, she was pretty darn strong, with, or without the Force.

Sascha curled into her arms and got comfortable, nestling his head into the crook of her arm. Tyra noticed that he was taking the opportunity to stare at her chest, "Enjoying the scenery?"

He glanced up at her, "You know I am."

Tyra feigned dropping him. Sascha took the hint, closing his eyes and not moving. Once she was sure that he wasn't looking at her any longer, she smiled. While normally she just about despised anyone ogling her, there was something about the way that Sascha had done it that had felt endearing rather than creepy. His look had been more of a 'I can't believe that this pretty girl kissed me,' sort of look.

Muscles tiring, Tyra focused herself on what was coming up. First, she decided that she would scream and yell and make a big scene, hopefully getting Weliss to rush out and come see what was the matter. Then, she'd beg for permission to take Sascha to the hospital. Hopefully that would be enough for Weliss to let his guard down, and get her close enough to him so she could fight and apprehend him. It wasn't exactly a detailed plan, but hopefully it would be enough. What she wanted to avoid was Weliss being alerted that she wasn't his faithful helper, because that could have disastrous consequences.

Tyra walked up the narrow spiral staircase that separated the lower level to the main floor of the sprawling fortress. The main level was where Weliss had made his lair. It was a bit of a mess, to be totally honest. There was, for example, a room off to the side with a high tech centre where Weliss monitored news feeds, communications and the cameras that dotted the interior and exterior of the fortress. That was generally where he spent most of his time. And then there were just rooms filled with garbage, because apparently Weliss couldn't be bothered with sanitation. It was an odd place, Weliss' lair.

The main section, where she was now, was an open space with rooms off to the side. The floor had stuff laying everywhere, everything from rocks to old pieces of machinery. It looked like a dilapidated old warehouse the way everything was messy and disorganized. Still, from the way her danger sense tingled every time she had walked around the main area, she figured that Weliss had some really unpleasant traps laying around. As far as Tyra had been able to tell, Weliss expected that the Jedi would one day find him here, and that he planned to take as many Jedi down with him as he could.

As Tyra reached the last step, she glanced down at Sascha one last time. He was doing a rather convincing job of looking deathly sick. His forehead was slick with sweat, his eyes were closed, but occasional twitches of his eyelids suggested a restless unconsciousness, rather than a blissful sleep. It was difficult to tell how much of it was Sascha's acting, and how much was legitimate sickness. She just sure hoped that she hadn't actually poisoned her best friend too badly because she would need his help, she suspected.

She placed Sascha carefully on the ground and shouted, "WELISS!"

With all the doors being closed, she couldn't exactly be sure where Weliss was. With him hiding in the Force, she was deprived her usual means of finding a person of interest. Which meant that she needed to try more conventional avenues.

"WELISS! HELP! PLEASE!"

Still no sign of the Bothan. So she had one last card to play, one that would generally bring people running, no matter the situation. She screamed.

Tyra had never really had a reason to scream before. She had been terrified at least a couple of times in her life, but had never had the inclination to unleash a scream. So she was surprised at how raw her vocal chords felt afterwards, it felt like she had raked a pointy utensil through them.

Finally, Weliss emerged from a room that she had never been into before. While her curiosity was piqued by that, she had a role to play at the current moment. She rushed over to Weliss and fell to her knees in front of him, "Weliss, Weliss...you have to help me, Sacha is sick...I don't know if its a reaction to the drugs or an allergy or something, but he's so feverish...he's not even moving...I think he might be dying..."

Weliss stepped past her, a dismissive look on his face, "What happened?"

She stayed on Weliss' right side, trying to put real panic in her voice, "I went down there to check in on him and he was lying on the ground, moaning. He was barely responding to me at first, and now...well...look at him!"

Weliss approached Sascha warily, keeping his eye on her movements, "Your sure what he has isn't an infection? If he's contagious i don't want him anywhere near me."

Why won't you kneel beside him and stop paying attention to me! Tyra decided to turn the melodramatics up even further. She gesticulated wildly, "How the Force should I know! I need to get him to a hospital! Now!"

The Bothan moved closer to Sascha, while Tyra was very subtly making preparations for her attack on Weliss. She'd like to make the battle it as quick and decisive as possible. But it was difficult to both be stealthy and play the role of a hysterical young woman afraid for her lover's life.

Weliss took his sweet time, pacing around Sascha's sweating, prone body. The Bothan took another look at her and then shrugged, bending down to look at Sascha. Weliss put a furred hand softly on Sascha's forehead. Sascha reacted slightly to the touch, fluttering his eyelids for a moment, groaning and then closing them again. "He does seem to have a high fever," said Weliss.

"That's what I've been saying! Just look at him!" Tyra gestured franticly at her prone best friend, and soul mate, "I can't let him die here!"

Weliss, clearly distracted by Sascha's predicament, started to open Sascha's shirt at the chest, then he paused, "Yes, we must get him to someone that can treat him," Weliss agreed. Weliss' back was to her, and she slipped quietly to a position where she was temporarily out of his line of sight. The Bothan muttered something under his breath.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"I said, how unfortunate that you are attempting to deceive me..."

Tyra processed the meaning of those words a little slower than she should have. She reached for her lightsaber just as Weliss was igniting his. Her fingers slipped as she reached for the hilt of her weapon and that delayed her for a fraction of a fraction of a second.

She managed to get her lightsaber out in time, but her parry was late and sloppy. Weliss changed the angle of his blade and it started sliding down the length of her lightsaber and towards her. She tried to force the red blade away from her but she had been caught unawares and was Weliss was too strong for her. Weliss' blade cut through her lightsaber's hilt.

And then through her left wrist.

* * *

Sascha Whitestar had only been sick a few times in his life, and only once had he had a serious illness. He did remember that illness vividly though, mostly because it had sent everyone from Dragon clan into the Halls of Healing for about a week. What had happened was that one of their teachers had brought home a nasty virus from a mission, which had gone undetected until all of Dragon clan had fallen ill – apparently the virus only targeted younger beings with less developed immune systems. Their teacher had gone into quarantine and Dragon clan had a whole isolation chamber to themselves.

While the virus they had come down with hadn't been life-threatening, it had given each of the young Jedi a high, burning fever. Sascha remembered laying in his bed, sweating, even though temperature in the room was cool. He remembered being so feverish that he'd had a hard time determining what was real.

He was feeling somewhat similarly right now.

Had he really just seen a horrific scene play out in front of him?

Was that actually Tyra on her knees, staring at the stump of her left hand?

Or was this all a fever dream? A nightmare conjured by his feverish brain?

Sascha didn't have much time to consider it. He saw Weliss arc his lightsaber towards Tyra in what was likely to be a killing blow. So he did the only thing he could, he put everything he had into a Force push and hoped he'd been quick enough to save Tyra's life.

Though his Force push had come off somewhat weaker than he had expected, only sending Weliss back a few feet, to his relief the Bothan had been denied his killing blow. Sascha got to his feet, feeling not all that great, but on one of the biggest adrenaline rushes of his life. He summoned his lightsaber off of Tyra's belt with the Force and ignited it, keeping him between Weliss and the still kneeling Tyra.

He spared a second to look back at Tyra. The girl that he loved was still staring in shock at her maimed left arm. Her breathing was rapid and irregular, and she was paling rapidly. "Tyra! You okay?"

Weliss laughed at him before Tyra could answer, "Stupid Jedi boy. She's in shock. Now _she_ is the one that needs medical attention."

"Shut up, Weliss," he spat.

The Bothan circled, his lightsaber held lazily by his side, "This was a very clever plan. You almost managed to deceive me. I saw Tyra carrying you up the stairs and I assumed that it was some sort of plot, but your condition was so obviously real that I let my guard down for a moment. But Miss Harker kept trying to get to my blind side, instead of acting like someone who actually feared the love of her life dying. And that is what gave it away."

Tyra moaned loudly, "Sascha..."

He really wanted to turn around and look at Tyra, to hold her and comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but he couldn't afford to take his eyes off of Weliss. "Tyra, plese tell me you are okay!"

Weliss laughed loudly, "Well, she would, but I think she's currently trying to count to ten and it seems that she can only get to five!"

Right then and there, Sascha just about launched himself at Weliss, forgetting everything he knew about combat and duelling. But he had learned a thing or two about anger since the last time he had fought Weliss. He now knew that it was not a path that led to anything good. He let his anger dissipate. He was fighting Weliss because he was a dangerous person that needed to be stopped and for no further reason beyond that.

He held his lightsaber defensively, and took a deep breath. "You can't get me to lose my temper this time, Weliss."

"So you don't love Miss Harker?"

Sascha resisted the urge to look behind him at Tyra, "I do. I always have."

Weliss continued to circle him, "So your little deception has failed, are you ready to fight and die today, Sascha?"

"I am."

Sascha used his arm to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. His vision was starting to blur, courtesy, no doubt of the un-refrigerated sedative he had taken not too long ago. He wasn't sure how long he was going to last in this little duel. Still if Tyra would get up and help him...they'd have a chance. He and Tyra always stood a chance when they worked together.

Weliss nodded at him in approval, "So be it, Jedi."

"Tyra! I need your help right now," he said in a loud, panicked voice.

At that moment, Weliss attacked.

He brought his lightsaber up in a basic block, feeling slow and sluggish. Still, his blade got there, intercepting Weliss' red blade. Weliss pushed against him with his lightsaber, but although Sascha gave ground, he did not allow his defences to be compromised. Only when they started getting close to Tyra was he forced to break the bind.

Sascha knew that he didn't have time on his side. He was in bad condition physically, and watching Tyra get wounded like that in front of him hadn't improved his mental state of mind much either. Still, there was a job to do and a wounded girl to protect.

Sascha tried to attack Weliss, but his foray faltered after a couple of jabs. He was just too slow, and he could have sworn that he was fighting not one, but two, copies of Weliss, though he was aware enough to realize that he was just seeing double.

Weliss pushed him around again with powerful sweeping strikes from his red-bladed lightsaber. Sascha parried with increasing desperation, knowing that he was on the wrong end of this fight currently. That was when he decided that he had one last card that he could play.

On Weliss' next attack he pulled out one of the tricks that Aurine had generally disabused him from using. Sascha sensed that one of Weliss' wild overhand blows was going to go just wide, yet he still moved as if to parry it. Then, just before the blades would have collided, Sascha turned off his blade. Weliss' blade went harmlessly by. Sascha swung his lightsaber at Weliss, hoping to end things right then and there. For a moment, both combatants were within each others defences.

But Weliss was no fool. He had already turned and launched a kick straight at him. It was just question about who go there first, Weliss' leg or his lightsaber.

Weliss' did.

The Bothan's kick caught him in the stomach and nearly doubled him over. He dropped on to one knee and parried a massive over-head blow, but was unable to stop the kick that followed. The kick from Weliss lifted him physically off the ground and he landed on his back, hard. His lightsaber rolled out of his suddenly slack hand.

He willed himself to get up, to continue to fight, but there was nothing left for him to give. His body was just too weary from the fever. A Jedi could do a great many things, but there was nothing a Jedi could do when his or her body refused its orders. A Jedi was a vessel for the Force. In this case, the vessel had broken.

Sascha lay on his back and waited for it all to end.

* * *

Tyra Harker's body was still in shock. Her mind was still in shock.

Her left hand was now a stump. This was her new reality, one that she had not yet accepted.

She'd badly miscalculated how Weliss would react to her plan. Everything seemed to have been going fine until Weliss had somehow figured out that she was trying to use Sascha as a distraction to get close to him. Then she had lost...lost...well, part of herself.

She had watched Sascha fight Weliss as if she was some sort of neutral observer, not a party to the proceedings at all. It was if her life had suddenly become a video game, and she was player two. Now she had to wait her turn until she could play again.

She knew that she should have been getting to her feet, and using the Force, or looking for Aurine, but it was like she had been paralyzed. Even Sascha's shouts for help couldn't penetrate her mental paralysis.

Her willpower and ability to move returned to her just as Sascha got kicked in the stomach. She was too far away to stop it, but she _was_ close enough to prevent Weliss' deadly follow up. Tyra's Force push sent Weliss away from Sascha and actually dropped the Bothan onto his back as an added benefit.

Apparently the Force still flowed through her, even with only one hand. That was comforting.

She took up Sascha's fallen lightsaber and stood protectively in front of him. Weliss stood up and brushed himself off, "Well, well, well, I had thought that perhaps I had dealt with you already. I had always thought that you were made of sterner stuff. Glad to see I was right."

Tyra sneered at Welss, "Want to come see how tough I am?"

Weliss strolled slowly towards her, "You might be my equal with all your faculties, but now I am the stronger."

Tyra gripped Sascha's lightsaber tightly, "Then lets find out."

Tyra attacked, twirling her blade casually in her right hand before cutting from right-to-left across her body at Weliss. The Bothan's two handed parry brought her up short. It was at that point that Tyra Harker realized that she had no idea how to fight with only one hand. Normally at this point, she would have brought her other hand on to her hilt and tried to bring the blades together into a bind, but without a hand to give her additional leverage, she was exposed to a counter attack.

And counter attack Weliss did.

Weliss took a step towards her and swung his blade in a diagonal arc towards her. Her lightsaber was out of position, so all that she could do was dodge out of the way. She felt the heat on her side as Weliss just barely missed carving out part of her flank. She twirled to bring herself face to face with Weliss again, only to see the Bothan slip to her side and lash out with a kick that caught her just below the knee. Her knee somehow didn't buckle on the impact.

She backed away from Weliss, her confidence having evaporated in a matter of moments. She had been sure that she could defeat Weliss, even with one hand. But when it came to actually do it she found that she couldn't. She wasn't good enough. She wasn't experienced enough. Not for the first time in this mission, she realized that she had no idea what she was doing.

Tyra held on against an increasingly confident Weliss for a little while, but she never managed to go on the offensive, never managed to turn the tide. Weliss started taunting her, tossing his lightsaber back and forth between his two good hands. The Bothan, despite being out of practice, was a capable duelist, and was a master of keeping her off-balance.

"You see that you are no match for me, foolish Jedi," taunted Weliss.

"Shut up," she said, launching a kick that missed by a good foot and a half.

Weliss almost took her right arm off at the shoulder with an unorthodox upward strike, but she just managed to avoid the tip of the blade. Distracted by the near miss, she realized, too late, that the Bothan was preparing a Force push. His push caught her square and true, knocking the wind out of her almost immediately.

She hit the ground hard, smacking her head against something solid. Woozily she got to her feet, and managed to deflect a pair of lightsaber strikes from Weliss. But she couldn't stop yet another kick, which caught her square in the chest.

Weliss' kick sent her sprawling towards Sascha. She hit the ground, stunned.

* * *

Sascha had barely gotten back to his feet when he saw Tyra go down. Seeing Tyra drop like that gave him the adrenaline boost of all adrenaline boosts. Would it be short lived? Probably. But he didn't care, he would do anything to protect Tyra, including get his failing body to do things it really, really didn't want to do.

He grabbed his lightsaber from Tyra's hand, intending to fight until his body gave out.

* * *

Tyra Harker watched the duel between Sascha and Weliss progress. Sascha was losing, holding on by the thinnest of margins. Her best friend was pretty clearly being affected by his illness, he was slow and seemed to be having trouble seeing Weliss in front of him. It was only going to be a matter of time before Weliss found an opening, and Tyra didn't think that the Bothan would simply wound Sascha. No, this was a fight to the finish.

She could try to intervene, to reach out with the Force and to assist Sascha. But she didn't know if she could. Her body was in shock, and while she didn't think that she'd be losing consciousness anytime soon, she could feel unconsciousness pulling at her, weakening her. If she wanted to use the Force to help out Sascha, she didn't want to make a mistake, because one mistake could be the end of Sascha.

And that was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

She had been told as a youngling that if two people were in a lightsaber duel, to never attempt to use something like a Force push to intervene. It was just too risky. Lightsaber duels moved impossibly fast, and were very hard to predict where a combatant was going to be from one second to another. So, the lesson had been to join into the combat with your lightsaber or stay away from the action. Yet, seeing how her lightsaber had been neatly carved into two pieces, that option wasn't available to her.

So that left the Force.

But no matter how much that logic told her that she _had_ to do something to save Sascha from his losing battle, she found herself unable to act. She couldn't do something that could possibly end the life of Sascha. The rational side of her brain raged against her, telling her that it was better for her to do something, rather than watch Sascha be struck down by the ex-Jedi. But the emotional part of her brain steadfastly refused.

She looked up to see Sascha sent scrambling by an offensive advance by Weliss. The Bothan missed his head with a wild swing of his blade by a matter of inches. Sascha spared a moment to look directly at her, "Tyra! Do something!"

She got to her feet slowly, and concentrated on the ongoing duel. If at all possible, it was now going worse for Sascha. He hadn't taken a wound yet, but he was taking a beating from Weliss, who seemed to grow stronger with every second. Tyra dropped into the Force, trying to find a clear opening for her to intervene. She could find partial openings, half-openings, opportunities for Force pushes where she wasn't exactly sure what would happen if she actually followed through on the chance.

There isn't going to be a clear opening, her rational mind raged at her, just do _something_.

But she was still frozen, indecisive. Her mind wouldn't allow herself to take an action that could cause harm, or death to Sascha. Then she realized what she had to do.

She let go of her feelings for Sascha. She let go of their history, of their friendship of their kiss. She just...moved on. She let everything she knew about Sascha just dissipate into the ether.

Now when she opened her eyes and saw Sascha all she saw was a fellow Jedi. Not the boy she loved. Not the boy that she had grown up with, grown close to, and shared so many of her favourite memories with. Not Sascha Whitestar at all.

She reached out with the Force and pushed.

* * *

Sascha Whitestar was just about at his mental limit and physical limit. He could barely see straight, he couldn't think straight, and his body was rebelling against him. He had nothing left to give in this duel against Weliss, only a desperate defence. That's why he needed Tyra to do something, otherwise within the next thirty seconds, he would probably be in multiple piece on the floor of this dungeon.

That was when, blessedly, Tyra finally did something. But instead of Weliss flying backwards like he had expected, the Force push knocked him _toward_ Weliss at an awkward angle.

Both beings were suprised, and neither managed to bring their lightsaber in to play. Sascha's head collided hard with Weliss' snout, and Sascha's vision actually went black for a split-second and he felt his lightsaber fall from his temporarily numb hand.

He came to only to realize that Weliss come off much worse than he had. The Bothan was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling through glazed over eyes. Sascha knew that this was as good of a chance as he would ever get to subdue Weliss. He scrambled on top of the Bothan and slugged him as hard as he possibly could in the snout. Weliss turned with the punch, abating some of its power, but it still hit hard, stunning the Bothan again. Sascha realized that was unlikely to subdue the Bothan by punching him in the face, and knowing that if Weliss got the upper hand on him in this grappling exchange, then he'd be done for. So Sascha pushed Weliss on to his side, latched on to him with his legs and wrapped his arm tightly around Weliss' neck, not strangling him, but cutting off the blood flow to Weliss' brain.

The Bothan was no fool, and immediately started taking action to defend himself, snapping his head back to headbutt him. Sascha moaned in pain but held on. "Tyra! The stuncuffs!"

He couldn't see if Tyra was reacting to his plea. All he could do was to hold on to his choke and trust that his friend knew what to do. All it would take is ten or seconds to put Weliss into unconsciousness. Simple, in theory. Hard, in practice.

Weliss bucked his hips, trying to dislodge Sascha from his back. Sascha held on, thanks to his legs being squeezed across Weliss' midsection. Weliss tried to pry Sascha's arms away from his neck, but Sascha had the better angle and was able to hold on despite the pressure.

Then Weliss reached up and scratched his face. Sascha could instantly tell that he'd been cut by the way that his face felt hot. But he didn't care. All he had to do was hold on for a few more seconds...

Then Weliss' furred hand reached up and clawed at his eye. Alarmed, he had to turn his head to avoid his eye being scratched, and because of that, he slightly released the pressure on his choke hold for a moment.

Sascha cursed at himself for a moment, but reapplied the choke hold again, "Tyra! Now!"

Sascha looked down at Weliss. He saw that the Bothan hadn't given up, he was reaching for an object and his heart froze when he saw what it was. It was his lightsaber.

 _Kriff._

"Tyra!" he shouted. Where was Tyra? Had she finally succumbed to the shock of losing her hand? If so she had chosen a really bad time to do so. He held out hope that like always, Tyra would appear to make everything better. But maybe this time would be the exception to the rule.

Sascha watched as Weliss curved his furred hand around his lightsaber and started looking for the switch. He could only hope that his choke rendered Weliss senseless before he was able to hit the activator and swing it around at him.

Then out of nowhere, Tyra appeared. She started frantically stamping on the arm that held his lightsaber. Weliss managed to hold on, despite the flurry for a few seconds. Then Tyra stamped on Weliss' elbow with real authority. The Bothan may have screamed, Sascha would never know, because of the way he was constricting the Bothan's neck. He didn't know and he didn't care.

The Bothan finally slumped into dreamland. Sascha held on for two more seconds, ensuring that he hadn't been suckered into releasing his hold early. Tyra went to work on securing the stuncuffs, using her one good hand to do so. After a bit of a struggle, Tyra managed to secure the cuffs onto the fallen Jedi's wrist. She sat back, breathing hard, staring at Weliss' prone body, "We finally did it," she said in a disbelieving tone.

Sascha was feeling extremely light headed, but he knew that he had to get up and comfort Tyra. He stood, swaying on his feet. He looked at Tyra and said, "I think I'm going to faint."

Then he did.


	43. Chapter 42: All Wounds Do Not Heal

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Aurine, she was peacefully sleeping during the whole thing. Glad you liked the last chapter, I think it's good, but I think I could have done a slightly better job (I'm such a perfectionist :p). Great point about the two Jedi vs. one curse, Jedi are really bad at working together, aren't they? And yeah, Sascha/Tyra are really susceptible to those moments of puppy love, which I find a lot of fun to write.

 **thejoker122 -** Tyra did go full Skywalker in this one. I mean it's the second chapter in a story, someone's gotta lose a hand, it's a Star Wars tradition!

A/N - So programming note - There is two chapters left (including this one) and then an epilogue. So 3 chapters left in this fic before we transition to book three (just occurs to me that I need a name for book three...will have to get brainstorming). If you've enjoyed book 1 and 2, book 3 is going to blow you away, I really think it's by far my best work. Can't wait to show you guys. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always, follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated.

* * *

 **Chapter 42: All Wounds Do Not Heal  
**

Aurine Brynar was not particularly fond of waking up in hospital beds. And she was definitely not a fan of waking up in a strange place with no memory of how she had gotten there.

Yet there was no doubt that she was in a hospital bed. It was the colours on the walls that gave it away. It was always pinks and soft oranges and beiges on the walls – colours said to promote healing and peace of mind. As if a colour had the power to do that!

The lack of medical equipment surrounding her was a good sign, this meant that she was likely in a room meant for recovery. It made sense, considering that although she felt a bit sluggish, she seemed to be in good physical condition. That was nice. She hated having to spend time in recovery mode, getting back to peak physical fitness, it just wore her out mentally. As a being of action, too much inaction made her stir crazy as she had learned a few months ago.

Aurine's head turned to the side when she heard her door whoosh open. Through the door stepped Luminara Unduli, clad in her usual dark Miralian robes. Her friend smiled to see that she was awake, "I am glad to see you awake, old friend."

"Luminara? What are you doing here?"

The Miralian chuckled softly, "You get a young Twi'lek girl to come to the Temple, hysterically informing us that Sascha has been captured and you expect me to not be on the mission that was assigned to rescue him? What kind of friend do you think I am?"

Aurine closed her eyes for a second, "You are the best friend a girl could ask for."

Luminara pulled a chair up to the side of her bed, "Always was, always will be."

"How's Sascha?" she asked. Judging by Luminara's relatively upbeat disposition, she was pretty sure that some calamity hadn't occurred, but she wanted to make sure.

The Miralian bowed her head slightly, "He's fine. He's actually in the room next to yours."

Aurine reached out with her senses in the Force and confirmed her friend's words. Sacha's presence was weakish, but it was certainly there. "Unconscious?"

"Yes. The doctors are just being very cautious with him, as they were with you." Luminara smiled wryly, "The doctors here seem to be of the opinion that if they do a bad job with your care then their be sued by our high-priced lawyers, so they are being extraordinarily careful."

Aurine knew Luminara well enough to know that she was being glib to cheer her up. But she still wanted to know how she had ended up in this bed, "How about Tyra?"

Luminara looked away, and Aurine's heart dropped, "Tyra was...wounded," said Luminara. "She'll recover fully, but..."

She interrupted her friend, "Lumi...just tell me what happened."

"She dueled Weliss and, she lost her left hand to his blade," Lumianara said quietly.

Aurine rested her head back on her pillow, "That's awful. She's getting a prosthetic I assume?" While losing one's hand was unlikely to be a pleasant experience, Aurine knew that in Tyra's case it wouldn't hinder her progression up the ranks of the Jedi Order. Tyra, unlike Sascha, was strong in the Force, and even the loss of a minor limb wouldn't damage her potential too badly. Still, the mental trauma of such an event was not to be overlooked.

"Already done the surgery," said Luminara.

She felt her brow knit in confusion, "Already? How long have I been out of commission?"

"It's hard to make out what the timeline of this whole thing, but you've been out for two days since I got here. So it's probably been longer than that."

Aurine shook her head in confusion, "I don't understand. I feel fine...not like someone who has been in a minor coma. Why don't we start this whole story from the start?"

Luminara crossed legs, getting comfortable on her chair, "Perhaps that is a good idea."

"I do have those sometimes," she jested lightly.

"On occasion," said Luminara with a smile.

"Just get to what happened, Lumi."

The Miralian smiled, "As you command. So I was at the Temple when your message from that young Twi'lek got to us. I brought her inside the Temple and she told me about what happened to Sascha. From there it didn't take long for a rescue team to be put together. Mace was the team leader, and I demanded to come along. I made a bit of a scene," Luminara said, embarrassed.

"They wanted to leave you behind?"

"Too emotionally attached to the situation, they said."

Aurine could see the argument against including Luminara, "You told them that you were a good fit for the mission because of your strong connection to both me and Sascha, yes?"

Luminara smirked slightly, "You know me too well Rini."

"Comes with knowing you for more than fifteen years. And losing many arguments to you over those years."

Luminara grinned, "Indeed. Anyways, we left Coruscant with a team of five Jedi led by Master Windu. When we arrived two days ago, we were just in time to talk to an exhausted Tyra Harker. She had apprehended Weliss and had just turned Sascha and you over to the medical professionals. I left at that point to oversee you and Sascha. Your Padawan looked to be in far worse shape, sweating, pale and feverish, but the doctors assured me that he was in no real danger. He was in a bacta tank for about twelve hours, and now he's being kept mildly sedated while the antibiotics complete their work. He'll be awoken tomorrow." Luminara shrugged, "In my opinion they are being overly careful with him. The bacta healed all of the internal damage that he received…but they are the doctors and we are in no rush, so I let them be cautious."

Aurine nodded along with Luminara's story, "I'm glad that Sascha will be okay. What about me?"

"You are just recovering from being unscrupulously drugged to the gills by an manic Bothan. No internal damage, no nothing. Again, everyone just wanted to be careful with you in case there was some sort of undetected complications."

"Well that's good news at least," she said. "Now do you know any details of what happened with Weliss?"

Luminara looked downwards, "It's all very secretive. Tyra met with Master Windu, and that was the only Jedi that she's talked to. She was moved to surgery directly after that talk, and I haven't seen her since. All I know is that Weliss is under observation and under guard."

"Any idea where they'll be taking him?"

The Miralian shook her head, "No."

Aurine supposed that she really didn't care what happened to Weliss at this point. "So in short you don't know much about what actually happened."

Luminara shrugged her shoulders languidly, "I suppose that I could have pried harder, but my assignment was to make sure that you, Sascha and Tyra were taken care of, and I don't know about you, but when I get an assignment from Master Windu, I tend to not ask too many questions."

"Don't want to run afoul of the taskmaster of the Jedi Order?" she teased.

"It's not on my to-do list."

"Fair enough," she said.

"I'm just glad to see that everyone has come through relatively unharmed," Luminara said.

"Now, I'm wondering who I need to speak to find out what actually happened," she said.

"I suspect that you actually know more than I do."

Aurine supposed that was probably true, after all, she knew why Tyra was only speaking to the Jedi Council member present on Bothawui, it was almost certainly because her mission had come from the Jedi Council itself. But if her suspicions were true, it was not her place to talk about why Tyra had been with Sascha and herself.

A knock in on the door interrupted their conversation. "Come in," said Aurine, raising her voice to be heard though the door.

The door opened to reveal Tyra Harker, dressed in her usual beige Jedi robe, though her hair was still died black instead of its usual brown. Tyra looked tired, weary and like she had aged four years over the last week. Aurine looked down to see Tyra's hands – her right hand looked normal, but her left had an angry red line across it at the wrist, obviously she had lost her left hand to Weliss. Aurine's heart went out to Tyra. While losing an appendage was something she hadn't experienced personally, she was sure that it had been a traumatic moment in her life. It was fine and good to know that Tyra wouldn't be held back from advancing in the Jedi Order by her loss, it was another to have to come to terms that you'd be living with a mechanical appendage for the rest of your life. You were never truly whole after losing a limb, despite whatever replacement was given.

Once Tyra saw that she was talking with Luminara, the young Padawan looked embarrassed, "You are busy, I'll come back."

Aurine was half out of her bed before Luminara stopped her. The Miralian turned to Tyra, "You weren't interrupting anything, Padawan. In fact I think you could be helpful to our conversation."

Hesitant, but unwilling to turn down the open invitation, Tyra slowly walked towards her bed, appearing to want to stay on the periphery of the conversation. "How are you, Tyra?" Aurine asked.

Tyra looked down and then at her hand, "Everyone keeps asking me that, but I'm still not sure I have an answer for them."

Luminara offered Tyra a kindly look, "Well, it's over now, you'll have time to go back to the Temple and rest."

Tyra scratched the back of her neck nervously with her right hand, "Yeah," she said in a noncommittal tone. The young girl looked at Luminara, "I actually wanted to speak to Master Brynar alone. I'm sorry if I'm being rude but..."

Luminara rose from her chair, "That is quite all right, Padawan Harker. Don't worry about it, I'll leave you two alone."

Tyra offered Luminara a shallow bow, "Thank you, Master Luminara."

Luminara smiled at Tyra and then left the room without another word being spoken. Tyra took up Luminara's chair, and that was when Aurine got her first good look at Tyra's face. Tyra Harker looked like she hadn't slept in days, there were dark bags under her eyes, and fatigue was written all over her face.

"When was the last time you slept?" she asked.

"I don't remember," Tyra admitted. "I was put under during my surgery, and since I woke up after that, I haven't slept. I can't sleep."

"You could always ask to be put in a healing trance," she pointed out. "You do no one any good walking around like you are a zombie."

Tyra sighed, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine."

Aurine sat up in her bed, "So, you had quite the undercover mission going there."

"Yeah."

A one word response was not necessarily what Aurine had been expecting. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tyra didn't respond for a couple of moments, starting at the floor as if it was going to provide her the answer to her question. Finally, the young Jedi responded, "I fell like you are the only one here I can talk to. Master Windu debriefed me, but he's...not exactly a warm and friendly individual to have a conversation with. To him, I'm just another Padawan. To you, I'm at least a person."

"That's okay Tyra. You can talk to me," she said comfortingly.

Tyra looked up at her for a second and then looked downward again. It was so odd to see Tyra looking so defeated, so frail, so indecisive. This was a girl that had always seemed to know what she had wanted out of her life, and while Aurine didn't have a ton of experience being around Tyra Harker, she suspected that the past few days had been something of a landmark in her life.

"Okay, so I think that you probably figured out most of what my mission was," said Tyra.

"I suspect that you were given a very dangerous infiltration mission by the Jedi Council."

Tyra nodded softly, "I was told to find a person of interest that has been contacting a number of the Jedi that have left the Order. As a part of my cover, I left the Jedi Order, so you are incorrect when you refer to me as Padawan Harker. I'm just Tyra."

"Tyra, I don't care if you are or are not a part of the Order – Padawan was a rank that you earned, and I'll always feel comfortable in calling you by that name."

Tyra fought off tears, "Thank you, Master Brynar."

"You are welcome, Padawan"

Aurine thought that Tyra might finally burst into tears, but although Tyra closed her eyes, her eyes remained dry. Tough little Jedi, was Tyra Harker.

Tyra took a deep breath, "I needed to thank you for trusting me in Weliss' lair. Although things didn't work out the way I hoped that they would, I know that it must have been hard for you to put both Sascha and your own life in my hands."

"I suspected that you were trying to gain Weliss' trust. And I knew that you wouldn't do anything to hurt Sascha, so when you...knocked him out, I knew that there had to be a deeper motive at play."

Tyra blanched, "I still can't believe I did that. I hurt Sascha...intentionally. I never thought I would have to do anything that made me feel so terrible."

"Being a Jedi is all about making the hard choices, Tyra. I'm sure on this mission you've learned a lot about yourself."

"I have," Tyra mumbled quietly.

Confused by that short answer, Aurine gently turned the conversation in another direction, "So, I was just talking to Luminara and I was trying to figure out what happened to me after you knocked me into dreamland with your feet. Good kick, by the way., turned my lights out good and quick."

A tiny smirk appeared on Tyra's face, "I always was good at unarmed combat." She shook her head, "I should answer your question though. Once I defeated you, sorry about that by the way, Weliss and I dragged you deeper into his little lair. From there, we deposited both you and Sascha into cells in the basement. I received some drugs from Weliss, and I…drugged you without your consent. Sorry."

"You don't need to keep saying that you are sorry, Tyra. I'm sitting here and I'm just fine. I'm sure you did what you had to do." While she wasn't exactly thrilled by Tyra's revelation, there wasn't much point in objecting to her actions at this point as everything was done and dusted.

Tyra fiddled with the band that held her ponytail together, "Thanks. So anyway, Weliss was obviously overjoyed about capturing two Jedi, and we had a long conversation with the higher power that Weliss was conversing with. Despite that being the big break that I had wanted, I still didn't manage to learn anything about Weliss' superior. I intended to wait as long as I could, to see if I could finally find something...anything about this person, but it never came. I know exactly as much as I did before, whoever is hiding behind that cloak knows that he is doing."

"What was he planning to do with Sascha and I?"

"He wanted to experiment on a Force user like you," she said quietly. "I heard what he wanted Weliss to do…and I knew that if I couldn't let any of that happen, not while I still drew breath."

Aurine felt a little chill creep up her spine. Being subject to whatever experiments that had been intended for her was a creepy feeling, to say the least, "I'm glad you decided to act at that point, Tyra."

"It wasn't really much of a choice," Tyra said.

"There is _always_ a choice, Tyra."

"I suppose," said Tyra halfheartedly.

Aurine waited a beat or two before asking a question that was on her mind, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you lose your hand?"

Tyra lifted her left hand as if to inspect it. It looked exactly like a normal human hand, except for the red lines around her wrist, which would fade over time as the scars from the surgery healed. "I basically was overconfident. I tried to get Weliss to think that Sascha was in need of medical attention, but I guess he saw right through that deception, even though I actually poisoned Sascha..."

"You poisoned my Padawan?" she asked, incredulous.

Tyra seemed to shrink away from the Jedi Knight, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Aurine sat back in her bed. While what Tyra was describing seemed unreasonably risky, it had seemed to come out relatively well. "You and Sascha fought Weliss, I assume?"

Tyra continued to stare at her hand, "Yeah. It wasn't an easy fight. It might have been easier if I didn't lose my hand and my lightsaber, but we survived and caught the bad guy. Not too bad."

Aurine smiled a confident smile at Tyra, "Well, my opinion might not count for very much, but I think you've done very well in very difficult circumstances. "

Tyra shook her head, "I'm not done yet."

"Done what?"

"This mission," Tyra stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to continue on in my mission," said Tyra. She sighed, "Look, my mission was to find the person that was contacting these ex-Jedi like Weliss and incentivising them to, well...act like Weliss. That person is still out there. I saw him. I talked to him."

"But..."

Tyra stopped her, "But nothing. I talked to Master Windu and he agreed that if I was up to it, that I could go on with this mission. If I wanted to. And I do."

"Forgive me for being blunt, but why?"

"First, because I think it's the most I can do for the Jedi Order. Second...I need to get away from Sascha. See, there is something I haven't told you yet...before we confronted Sascha, we kissed."

"Oh," she said, for lack of anything better to say. She supposed that she wasn't totally surprised that they had finally consummated their feelings in a rather tame way. But the timing seemed to bit odd, to say the least.

"It wasn't a good idea," Tyra admitted. "During my time away from the Jedi, I felt like I was finally getting away from my feelings for Sascha, that they were finally fading." Tyra brushed her hair for a second, "And then, as part of my deception to get close to Weliss, I had to pretend to be madly in love with Sascha, and I guess I fell back into it."

Aurine tried to keep her voice in a neutral tone, "And now what are you going to do about it?"

Tyra again seemed to be on the verge of tears, "I think that everyone has a weakness. Mine is Sascha. I've realized that I can't solve my feelings for him by words. Only by actions. So I'm cutting him out of my life until such time that I feel confident that I will only ever view him as a friend."

"You're not going to talk about what happened with Sascha?"

Tyra shook her head, "No. I'm actually leaving tonight to continue on with my mission."

Aurine took a moment to think about what was happening. It was the implosion of a friendship that had existed for more than ten years. It was a young girl admitting that her feelings towards her Padawan were so strong that she needed to take drastic action to make sure that it didn't consume her life. "Are you sure about this?"

Tyra laughed, a long and bitter laugh, "Absolutely not. But I feel like I'm two different people. One is Jedi Padawan Tyra Harker who has a friend named Padawan Sascha Whitestar. The other is Tyra Harker, sixteen year old girl who loves a boy named Sascha Whitestar. I've been torn between these two people for too long, I'm making a choice about who I am." Tyra straightened her shoulders, "I'm a Jedi Padawan. That's all I can be."

"I sympathize with you, Tyra. But...are you aware of how this is going to affect Sascha?" Aurine was having a hard time even thinking about how Sascha would react to having his best friend disappear from his life, not long after they had expressed their true feelings about each other. She was betting that Sascha would be devastated.

Tyra put a hand on her forehead, "I can't think about how this is going to affect Sascha, I need to think about what is right for me. And this is what is right for me." Tyra paused, "There was a moment when Sascha and I were fighting Weliss – Sascha and Weliss were in a lightsaber duel and I was trying to find a way to intervene...and I just couldn't. I cared about Sascha too much to do anything, even though he was fighting and losing. To get to a point where I could do something, I had to..let go of Sascha. I let go of my feelings for him, I let go of all the important memories we have together. He became just another human male to me, no longer Sascha Whitestar, my best friend. I let go of my attachment, really. I just need to make sure continue to let go of my attachment. That's on me, not on anyone else."

"You've thought a lot about this," said Aurine.

"Yeah," admitted Tyra. "My mind is made up too."

"This is a lot to drop on a person just emerging from a long sleep," Aurine joked, trying to bring a little levity to a situation that was quite serious.

The Padawan stared at the ceiling for a moment, "I know. It's just that for once, I finally feel like I'm doing the right thing. When I was undercover for those months, I had a lot of time to think, think about who I am, who I want to be. And while Sascha has always been an important part of my life, at a certain point, I have to see who I am without him. I can't always be defined by our friendship. I need to be me, Tyra Harker."

There was really no point in arguing with Tyra over this. No matter how defeated and tired Tyra looked, there was no doubting the conviction behind her words. Besides, Aurine didn't even disagree with Tyra. Separating Sascha from Tyra had been a long term goal of hers. She would have strongly preferred to have split them up gradually and through mutual understanding, rather than through something so sudden, but this was the hand she had been dealt, and she would play it.

"Is this the part where I wish you good luck, Padawan Harker?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on the young girl's lips, "I'm not quite done saying all I wanted to say."

Aurine reached out and rubbed Tyra's back gently. "I'm here for you Tyra."

"Thanks." Tyra paused, "Have you gone undercover much in your career?"

Aurine shook her head, "No. I'm not really good at it. I'm not exactly a master of subtlety, as you may know."

"Ah. Well when I was undercover, I learned a lot about myself. The first is that I have no capability for fitting in with average people my age. Which is fine, it just solidified my belief that I was born to be a Jedi. But there was one moment that almost broke me, that almost sent me down a dark path for real, and it had nothing to do with Sascha."

"What was it?" she asked, curious as the the answer.

"I was traveling with Weliss to Bothawui, and he showed me an interview with my parents." Tyra stopped to look at her, "Do you have any idea what it is like it is to see two people that look so much like you that you can say 'oh, I got my Dad's nose, and my Mother's eyes?'

"I do not," she said.

"Well I do. My parents, Dorelle and Nikta Harker, were interviewed and they begged me to contact them. They said that no matter what got kicked me out of the Jedi Order, that there would always be room in their home for their daughter. They said..." Tyra sniffed, and this time could not hold back the tears, "they said that I was still their little girl and that they still loved me." The emotional Padawan continued in a taut voice as tears ran down her face, "We say that Jedi are a force for good in the galaxy, but each Jedi leaves a hole in a family when they are taken to the Temple. Have we lost sight of the damage we do to these families? My parents lost a chance to grow up with a daughter." Tyra shook her head, "I just can't fathom people who would take their daughter back, no questions asked, even after not seeing her for sixteen years. To see that there was this...love, this generosity out there for me. It nearly broke me. It really made me think about how cruel the Jedi Order really is. Every Jedi represents a tragedy to some family somewhere in the galaxy."

Aurine indicated that Tyra should join her on the bed, and Tyra did, curling against her and crying into her shoulder. Aurine gently rubbed Tyra's back until her crying fit eased. It was amazing, Aurine reflected, here was one of the toughest people that she had ever met, and Tyra was being reduced to tears over people she had never met. Finally Tyra pulled away and slunk back onto her chair, "Sorry about that."

"You are allowed to be human, Tyra. That's never been banned by the Jedi Order."

"I know."

"It's difficult to talk about our parents. I think you are right to say that we create these little tragedies every time we take a new Initiate to the Temple. But while it is an almost unspeakable thing that we do, we do it because each Jedi is an extraordinary individual that can give so much back to the galaxy. Logically, we cause one tragedy, but prevent several others. How can we say that one parent's tragedy is more important than someone else's?"

"It feels like a hollow thing to rely on cold logic when confronted with something as emotionally charged as removing a child from their parents."

Aurine nodded, agreeing, "That's why we have to take emotion out of it."

"Yeah, I guess," said Tyra unconvincingly. "There's a last thing I want to talk to you about before I go." The young Padawan rose from her chair and walked the length of her bed, "I think you know how much this is going to hurt Sascha. He's in love with me, and I don't think he's had the moment yet where he realized that he needs to give up his love. I'm, for lack of a better phrase, ripping his heart out. Sascha's an emotional person, he's going to take it badly."

"He'll miss your friendship the most, I think," said Aurine. "He's attracted to you because you are both relatively cute young Jedi that have lots of history and lots in common. But I think he's always viewed you as a rock in his life, someone that he can always rely on. That's why he was so hurt when you didn't tell him about your feelings for him. It undermined your friendship, a friendship he's always been afraid of losing. And now he is, for at least a while."

"You know Sascha well," she observed.

"I _am_ his Master, it is kind of my job," Aurine said confidently.

Tyra smoothed out her robe, "You know that you are the perfect Master for Sascha, right? I feel like in some ways you know Sascha better than even I do. I feel like I can finally give my responsibility of looking after Sascha to you."

"I might not do a perfect job of protecting him," she admitted, thinking of how many times Sascha had been physically injured even in the few months he'd been a Padawan. "Yet, Sascha's health and well being is my first priority in my life."

Tyra scratched her head nervously, "Well I'm about to emotionally kick him in the stomach, so sorry about that. But I was going to say that I think he'll need to replace me in some way, find another good friend, one that he can confide in."

"I assumed that Doro or Trigg would assume that role."

"I don't think you understand, Master Brynar. Sascha is friends with Doro and Trigg, but he's not close with them in the way he was with me. I think Sascha gets along better with females, generally speaking. He's reasonably close with Eida, but she's always off somewhere learning how to be a Healer."

"You sure he won't just turn to me?"

Tyra shook her head in disagreement, "He likes you a lot, but he needs a friend, not a Master."

"Any ideas as to who he might get along with?"

"The only name that comes to mind is Nara, but I think she might be a bit too immature for him. She gets on his nerves. But there is some potential for friendship. I don't know if Nara's big on sharing feelings though, and that is what Sascha really needs."

Aurine wasn't sure she wanted to replace Sascha's complicated history with Tyra with anyone, really, but she also wasn't going to discard Tyra's advice out of hand either. That would just be idiotic. "I'll keep it in mind, Tyra."

Tyra nodded, "That's all I ask." She looked towards the door, "Look, I have to go. There is a shuttle that I really should be on that leaves soon. I already spent more time here than I wanted to, even though it was time well spent."

Aurine swung her legs around and stood, shakily at first, but her strength returned to her quickly, "May the Force be with you Tyra Harker. We'll meet again, I think."

Tyra lifted her chin confidently, and suddenly the usual Tyra Harker was back, the assured, confident, intense Tyra Harker. But now she had added something else to her look, now Tyra seemed mature beyond her years, no longer a girl, but a young woman. Just like that, Tyra seemed to have transformed, right in front of her eyes. "I think we'll see each other again," she agreed. "Take care of Sascha for me. I want him to be there when my Padawan braid gets cut off."

"I'm certain he'll be in the front row."

Tyra smiled confidently, "Oh, I'm sure too. I had a vision of it. But more interesting was the person standing next to him. I got the sense that there was a real closeness between Sascha and this person."

"And will you tell me the name of this person?" she asked. One Force vision was hardly indicative of anything, but she was intrigued nonetheless.

"Sometimes a girl needs to keep her visions to herself. It wasn't me, I can tell you that much." Tyra smiled enigmatically, and slipped out the door without another word.


	44. Chapter 43: Teenaged Wasteland

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- Tyra's not totally going away, though she's notably absent for much of the next book, her story will continue to be touched upon. And yes, Tyra did get to go face to face with a certain cowled Sith lord. You were so close to saving the Jedi Order Tyra. And everyone you loved...yeah thats depressing, now that I think about it. I think what you'll get from Sascha in this chapter is kind of a reaction to a lot of things that have gone on with him over the months he's been a Padawan. I think we forget (because it's been like 80 chapters), but Sascha has been close to death on several occasions now, and that wears on you after a while.

 **thejoker122 -** I think you've overestimated the emotional strength of Sascha. Him losing Tyra for an undefined amount of time for him, sucks. He's got a small circle of friends and Tyra's his best friend, and has been almost every day for more than ten years. It's not a simple thing to get over.

 **if-inconvenient-come-anyways -** I toyed at points with not even having anyone get hurt, but at a certain point the heroes need to lose *something.* Tyra will definitely be building a new lightsaber, though that will happen offscreen. Yeah it surprised me how close that Aurine and Tyra have become. I think you are right about Sascha not reacting well to Tyra leaving

 **Phoenix** \- Thanks for the review! I think Tyra handled herself pretty well, but blowing up her friendship with Sascha will certainly leave a mark on both of them. I don't know if Jedi 'take' Force sensitive children from their parents as in stealing them, but when their families give them up, it is the Jedi that 'take' them. We are actually going to deal with some of these issues in the next book! As for Tyra's hand...while you make a good point about Anakin having a robotic hand in Attack of the Clones, by Revenge of the Sith, he's got a prefectly functional prosthetic. So I think the technology is certainly out there to make prosthetic, especially on an advanced planet like Bothawui. I'm not sure though!

A/N - So this is the last true 'chapter' of this fic, on Wednesday I'll be adding an epilogue that will wrap things up as far as this book goes. We'll then start with chapter 1 of book three on the next Sunday. As for this chapter...I kind of don't like it, almost. It's a necessary chapter, but it was not fun to write. I think it's a reasonably good chapter, and it should be enjoyed, but it's not exactly going on the highlight reel.

Anyways please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Teenaged Wasteland**

Aurine Brynar decided against being there at the very moment when Sascha was awoken. Instead, when Sascha was being brought back to consciousness by the Bothan doctors, she and Luminara were on a long jog together. It was nice to just dress in normal workout clothes and go running through the streets of the quiet suburb that they were in. It was just her and Luminara together, two exceedingly average looking people, though anyone who followed them would likely have been amazed at the distance that they covered in their jog.

After her jog, she normally would have wanted to do some sort of sparring exercise with Luminara, but knowing that her body probably wasn't ready for that level of contact, she settled from running through some lightsaber katas with Luminara. When she was younger, she had always been jealous of the way that Luminara moved during her katas. It was as if Luminara had the ability to glide on air, seamlessly moving from position to position. The Miralian's form was always so perfect, so technically flawless, whereas she always felt like an overly large, half-drunk oaf in comparison. Now, as she was older, she had come to accept that Luminara was simply more graceful in combat. She, in comparison, was more powerful and better at improvisation. Two Jedi, two different strengths, two best friends.

As the session ended, Luminara turned to her and put her lightsaber on her belt, "I was surprised that you wouldn't want to be there when Sascha was woken up."

"I wanted to give him a little bit of time to himself. I think he's going to have a lot on his mind, and I don't want to be overbearing." She smiled, "A good Master must know when to be present and when _not_ to be present."

"You really trust him, don't you?"

"I do."

Luminara grinned, "You have really changed in these past few months, you know."

"I know," she said, as she sat down. "It feels like all these changes have been a long time in coming, and I'm glad for them. Honestly, I actually feel like a Jedi Knight now. For three years I think I was pretending to be one, but now I think I can actually own up to the title of Jedi Knight."

"Ah," said Luminara, "I'll let you know when I get there too."

Aurine looked up at her friend in incredulity, "You feel like a fraud?"

Luminara's mouth twitched, "I feel like I was granted the title of Jedi Knight far too early, but we know why it was...my Master was no longer in good enough health to continue to teach me, so it was sink or swim time. I've kept afloat, but I always feel like I'm close to drowning."

"That's a bit overly dramatic isn't it, Lumi?"

Luminara allowed herself a smile, "Yes, I feel like I might have overstated myself slightly, but that is what happens when you have a vocabulary as varied as mine, sometimes your adverbs get ahead of themselves."

Aurine squinted, "Was that a _grammar_ joke Luminara?"

"I suppose it was an _attempt_ at a grammar joke. But being serious for a second, you know what I'm becoming more comfortable with? The idea of taking on an apprentice. For years now I've dreaded the day where I will take Bariss Offee as my apprentice. The thought of it has been like an anchor around my neck. But watching you and Sascha has made me reevaluate that. The opportunity to have a Padawan is just that, an opportunity. And I will make the most of it," she pledged.

Aurine got to her feet and embraced her friend, "I'm glad I could actually teach you something for once,"

Luminara gave her a mock shove, "You've taught me more than just one thing Aurine."

"Okay, okay, I've taught you at least _two_ things."

Luminara tried to keep a stern expression on her face, but failed, laughing and bringing her into a brief embrace.

Luminara gently pushed her away, "I have to file my report with Master Windu. Should take all of two seconds 'Both Knight Brynar and Padawan Whitestar are effectively healed.' End of briefing."

"I guess that means we'll get to go home soon," she said.

"I think Mace will want to debrief both you and Sascha before you can go, but the fact that he hasn't done so yet I think says that it's not exactly a high priority."

Aurine ran a hand through her hair, "Always such _fun_ to speak to Master Windu."

"It's never a bad thing to have facetime with a powerful Jedi Master," Luminara pointed out.

"Mmmhmm," Aurine muttered.

The Miralian made a shooing gesture, "You should go see your Padawan. He's been awake for several hours now and I'm sure he'd like to see you. At the very least you can get him prepared to face Master Windu...it's an experience, even for someone like me."

Luminara, as usual, made solid points, "Okay Lumi. Make sure you see me before you leave."

Her friend offered her a salute, "Of course."

Aurine turned and headed towards Sascha's room. When was almost there there, she probed into the Force gently, trying to discern if he was alone, or if he was even in the mood for a conversation. She quickly found out that Sascha was alone, but his presence in the Force suggested that he was closing himself off from the Force. She felt her eyebrows raise, that was unlike Sascha.

The Jedi Knight decided that she would have a conversation with him right now, whether he wanted to or not. She rung the chime outside of his room as a courtesy, waited a few seconds and then strode through the automatic door.

Sascha was sitting in his bed reading something off a datapad. Knowing her Padawan well as she did, she guessed that he was immersing himself in the history of yet another world. He was a keen student of history and unlike her who only studied history because, well, it was her job, Sascha read histories because he enjoyed them.

She entered his room sat at the side of his bed, Sascha seemed to barely register her entrance, instead continuing to focus on his datapad. "Good morning, Padawan," she said.

Her apprentice nodded at her and then resumed concentrating on the datapad.

Aurine felt herself frowning, Sascha was rarely impolite and never out and out rude like he was being here. She decided to ignore his rudeness for the moment, "The doctors say you are healing at a normal rate –are you not using the Force to meditate and heal?"

Sascha looked up at her briefly, and then back down at his datapad, "I don't feel much like using the Force, at the current moment, Master."

Aurine sat back, slightly stunned by his casual mention of how her apprentice has discarded his training. Nonetheless, she keeps her tone open, friendly, "Sascha you can't cut yourself off from who you are. I know that this has been a painful mission for you, but the faster you heal the faster we can get back to Coruscant. It's time for us to go home, recuperate and consider what has happened here."

Sascha finally put the datapad away. Then he slunk into his bed, "What's the point, Master?"

"What's the point of…what?"

Sascha spread his arms wide, "Everything. All of this."

"You are going to have to be more specific."

Sascha looked down, "What's the point of being a Jedi? I understood at an early age that I would have to make some sacrifices, but in return I would get to do some good in the galaxy. I've now been on two missions, and I don't know if I've done anything 'good.' And the sacrifices have been many."

Aurine was taken aback by the amount of bitterness in her Padawan's voice. Sascha, while possessing a sarcastic sense of humor, had always been fairly lighthearted, which was something that she liked about him. She wondered if his first two missions had just beaten that out of him. "Sascha, you've done plenty of good. You helped arrest many outlaws on Narvis Rock, you prevented Senator Kuat from being assassinated, and here you've captured a dark Jedi. These are accomplishments to be proud of."

"I…can't even see it that way. I've captured some bad people, I guess. But there isn't a single person that I've helped!"

"Really, Sascha? There isn't a single person that you helped?"

She was almost entirely sure that Sascha would do his usual thing after being challenged, and back down, looking chagrined as he did it. But this time, he didn't. He shook his head as if to say 'you don't understand' and looked away from her.

"Sascha, why don't you tell me what is really bothering you?"

Sascha hesitated for a moment, "There are a lot of things bothering me."

"Then let's go through them one by one," she said patiently.

Sascha turned to face her again sighed loudly, "It really does bother me that I don't think I'm helping people in these missions."

She frowned, "You don't think that capturing Weliss was a good thing? You have no idea what he might have been capable of. You don't think that might have been helpful to the average citizen of Bothawui?"

"I think that other Jedi caused a problem by letting him go free and we were just here cleaning it up," he said defiantly.

Aurine felt herself getting frustrated by Sascha's intransigence, "And that precludes it from being helpful...how?"

Sascha grumbled and glanced away but said nothing.

"Why don't you get started on the thing that's really bothering you Sascha."

Sascha didn't turn to face her, "Tyra's gone, isn't she," he said. The way he spoke, it didn't seem like he was asking a question, merely stating a fact.

Aurine sighed, "She left this morning."

"To continue on her mission, right?"

"Yes."

Sascha put his head in his hands, "Perfect. We confess our love for each other, kiss, and then she runs away before we can share another word."

"I know that this will be hard..." she said in a comforting tone.

Sascha almost hopped out of his bed, "Hard! Hard? Do you even know what it is like to be in love? And have that person tell you that they love you as well. And then to have that person _run away_ from you? To have no time to discuss this momentous thing that has happened in your life?" Sascha's hands clenched into fists, "Her mission was more important than me. That's what I just learned. Her mission, her life, is more important than mine. I would have liked to think that my best friend wouldn't just abandon me, but here we are. Tyra was my best friend, my confidant, the person I trusted most in the galaxy and now she's just gone."

Aurine was starting to realize that Sascha was taking this whole situation rather badly. It was time for her to start doing some damage control, "When I talked to Tyra, she explained to me that..."

Sascha interrupted her, "Wait, you talked to her, and you couldn't get her to stay?" Sascha slammed a palm, hard, into the side of his head, "That's unbelievable. Tyra feels like it is okay to talk to you, but not to me! The whole galaxy has gone crazy!"

Aurine reached over and planted a hand firmly on his chest. For a second, his eyes flashed and she thought that he might actually lash out at her physically. That moment passed. Angry and hurt, Sascha still had enough control and enough respect for her not to do that. He did, however, grab his lightsaber off the table it had been sitting on, and throw across the room.

She watched it bounce and rattle around the small room, "Was that really necessary, Padawan?"

Sascha let out a long breath, "No. But it felt good."

"I'm sorry that Tyra is gone," she said softly. "But she went for the right reasons. She's come to realize how much that she cares for you and how much that has affected her life. So she's making a change, and cutting you out of her life for a while."

Upon hearing what she had said, Sascha seemed to sink into the bed, his earlier defiance completely absent. "So she's really gone. That's the end of our friendship. All gone in a single moment."

"I'm sorry, Sascha," she said honestly.

"I still love her, you know," he said quietly.

"I know. I'm not expecting you to get over her immediately. We'll go back to the Temple, take some time and deal with this."

Sascha glumly stared forward, not responding to her. As the silence dragged into the category of awkward, she spoke, "Sascha, you still with me?"

"I think I'm just...done, Master," he said softly.

"Done what?"

Sascha held his hands out wide, "This. Being a Jedi. I don't know if I can do it anymore."

Loud warning sirens were going off in her head. This was not a direction she wanted this conversation to go. She expected that Sascha would be upset at Tyra not being here and ostensibly leaving him out to dry, but this Sascha was a very bitter, very depressed, almost defeated young man, and she needed to pull him out of this downward spiral. She decided to start with a compliment, "Sascha, I know these past few months have been difficult, but you are doing exceedingly well as a Padawan."

Sascha's brown eyes stared daggers at her, "Really? 'Exceedingly well?' Do you know how many times I've been in a bacta tank since I became a Padawan? How many times I've been knocked unconscious? How many times I've woken up thinking 'I don't know how I got here?' Do you know that I just lost my best friend, the girl I love? If this is doing exceedingly well, I don't want to succeed."

"Sascha you are twisting my words."

"Then untwist them," he said defiantly, crossing his arms against his chest.

The Jedi Knight took a moment to formulate her response, "Padawan, you have to think of how much you've accomplished, rather than what you have sacrificed. You foiled a plot by a crazed politician on Kuat, and you just saved an entire planet from a lunatic. I'm so proud of you, Sascha. Of the five craziest missions I've been on, both the missions we went on would make that list. But these missions are outliers, we will go on missions where all we do is help people and no one gets hurt. Trust me on that."

Sascha looked downward, "All of my life, all I've ever wanted to be is a Jedi, but the more I think about it, the more I experience life as a Jedi, the more I'm unsure I'm cut out to be one." He sighed, "I don't know, all I feel right now is empty inside, I've never felt like less of a Jedi."

Aurine desperately searched for the right words to say to her Padawan. Right now, he reminded her of someone who was in the process of mentally collapsing. He was either breaking or broken. And while she currently didn't know how to put him back together again, she knew that she had to try. "Sascha you will find your purpose again. I'm sure you were born to be a Jedi, you just need time to get over this. The healers at the Jedi Temple will help you, I will help you."

Her Padawan put his head into his hands again, "I don't know Master, I'm not sure I can go back to being the same Padawan I was before this mission. I'm just so tired. I'm tired of ending up in a bacta tank at the end of every mission, I'm tired of constantly putting my life on the line, tired of almost dying. I'm tired of the sacrifices that I've had to make, Master. Tired of drifting away from my friends. I don't think there is much more of myself I can sacrifice."

"Not everything about being a Jedi is a sacrifice, Sascha."

Aurine hoped that her words would strengthen her apprentice, and get him to see the good of what he has accomplished, but right now Sascha can only seem to focus on the bad. "The problem, Master, is that I used to draw strength from my friends, 'strength through connections' is even carved on my _kriffing_ lightsaber. When I was down and out, I always knew that I could count on drawing strength from my friendships. But if you asked me to do the same thing today, I don't think I could…I gave up my biggest source of strength, I gave up Tyra. And now I have to wonder how many other friends am I going to have to give up to become a Jedi Knight."

"Sascha, you don't need your friends to be a good Jedi or to be strong. You are a good Jedi, just you, Sascha Whitestar of Sluis Van, with or without your friends." Those were pretty clearly the wrong words to say to him at this moment. He slumped against the headboard of his bed, looking as if everything he held dear had been ripped from him.

She summoned a look of comfort for him, "I can't say I know what you are going through, Sascha, I've never had to give up someone I loved, and I have to say I've never really felt love before. Attraction, sure, but never love."

"Falling in love with my best friend makes me feel like a bad Jedi too. Being too emotional over Tyra is a weakness that I don't know how to solve. You say that I'm a good Jedi, but I don't think that I am. I think you should find a better apprentice, Master." Her apprentice curled into a ball on his bed, and turned away from her, clearly trying to get her to leave.

The Jedi Knight was not deterred so easily, "I will have no other apprentice but you, Sascha. You're stuck with me."

"You are stuck with a broken apprentice than," he replied bitterly.

"You aren't broken, Sascha. Hurt, but not broken."

Sascha sneered, "You're entitled to your opinion on that matter, Master. I suspect mine might be the one that matters."

Aurine felt like she had been slapped. She stood from his bed and walked away from him, heading for the door. She could leave this conversation here, and come back when Sascha was in less of a bitter mood. That was probably the logical thing to do, she knew that Sascha was just hurt and lashing out, though the underlying grievances were real. But at her core, she wasn't a being of logic, and she hated seeing Sascha, her apprentice, like this.

She went back and sat the end of his bed again, "Sascha, would you believe me if I told you that things will get better, that you can find balance in your friendships and you will find happiness in being a Jedi. I won't lie and say that there are not hard times and sacrifices that are made, but I can tell you that I'm happy with my life, and I'm confident that you will be too."

Sascha rocked slightly in his bed, then his shoulders slumped, "I trust you, Master, I can never say otherwise, but what I'm saying, I really feel. I really feel terrible, like there is this...nothingness inside of me now. And while I used to be sure of my path, I try to see myself in three, four years...and I just can't anymore."

She moved up the bed so that she could lay a hand softly on Sascha's back, "We'll figure it out together, okay?"

It looked for a moment like Sascha would resist her. It seemed very much like a seminal moment. If he resisted her, resisted following his path, it could be the first of many long steps towards him leaving the Jedi Order, and her failing in her task to raise Sascha to the rank of Jedi Knight.

The moment passed and he bowed his head slightly, "Okay Master, I'll do it for you," he said in a soft tone.

While it had hardly been the most convincing of statements, she was going to take it. "Do you want to get out of this bed, and grab some food? There are a couple of interesting looking cafes in the area. We could try some local cuisine."

Sascha demurred, "I wanted to spend some time talking to Ezah, actually. Feels like I owe her a conversation since she did so much for me."

Aurine was stung slightly at the rejection, but she could hardly reject such a request. Her apprentice clearly wanted space still, and she was willing to grant it. Perhaps, after the conversation they had just had, he was not as willing to be around her as he had been previously. "Okay Sascha, call Ezah and thank her for me. If you want me, you know that you can find me easily."

Sascha nodded politely but absentmindedly, already grabbing his datapad back from where he had left it. Aurine left the room and let the door automatically close behind her. She started walking, with no particular destination in mind, reflecting on a conversation that had not gone as expected, or particularly well.


	45. Epilogue: A Windu Into the Soul

**Lord Darth Yoda** \- Sascha has certainly engaged 'petulant teenager mode.' It's not that much fun to write (nor I imagine, to read about) but it is something of a necessary arc considering the dude has kinda had a rough time of things of late. I think you are right that someone just needs to shake Sascha by his shoulders and be like 'Your life is still pretty freaking swell, get over yourself,' but while eventually Aurine will get to that point (her patience is finite), she's hoping that he sorts himself out right now.

 **Phoenix** \- Yeah, as much as I don't love writing 'angsty teenager' it does feel like something that has to happen to his character. It will go away, in time, and the person who snaps him out of it might be a bit of a surprise. I do intend (and will) come back to Tyra and Sascha's relationship, and I think they'll be constant in each other's lives, though maybe to not the same extent as they would have wanted when they were younger.

A/N - This is the **LAST** chapter of this book. As usual, I'll be posting a new chapter on Sunday, but it will be for Book 3...which I haven't remembered to give a title to yet. So remember to look for a post by me on Sunday - there will not be a new chapter posted in this fic.

I'm kind of torn about this book. While I think it had a bunch of really nice moments and it was probably better written than my previous book, I do think that thematically the first book was stronger and told a better story. I rewrote large chunks of this book on the fly because I basically hated the old ending (this one ended up being far superior). Weliss in particular ended up being a bit wasted. At points he comes off as a fully dynamic character but at the end he's just a tool to tell a Tyra and Sascha story, and while that is fine, I think I could have done more to make him a better villain.

However, I'm super looking forward to the next book. I honestly think it's great. The next book is the most ambitious that I've done so far, we have more POV characters, more meaningful arcs and some amazingly emotional moments that I can't wait to share with you all. It's long, (55 chapters and will probably end up being 60ish) but its darn good.

Thank you all for reading this story - I honestly can't believe this many people have followed a story that is more than 200,000 words and is still growing. Every favourite, every follow, every review is really a gift, and I'm so happy that anyone, gains enjoyment from this story.

Anyways that is enough rambling from please enjoy the epilogue! I'll see everyone on Sunday!

* * *

 **Epilogue: A Windu into the Soul**

A few hours after her conversation with Sascha, she was contacted by Master Windu, who told her to meet her in one of the hospital's conference rooms in five minutes. For a moment, she considered going to get Sascha and bringing him to this meeting, but she discarded it quickly. She wasn't sure he wanted to leave his bed, let alone talk to Mace Windu.

Striding in to the room with her head held high, she took stock of the Korun Jedi Master that was seated at a table across from her. He was tall, powerfully built and bald, possessing a countenance that would freeze most heads of state in their tracks. Even she was vaguely intimidated by Mace Windu, and she was theoretically a colleague of his, though their paths very rarely crossed. He was a member of the Jedi Council, and she was a young Jedi Knight, the difference could not be starker.

The Master of the Jedi Order acknowledged her entrance with a nod, "Greetings, Master Brynar." Aurine offered him a half-bow before taking a seat across from him. The Korun frowned, "Where is your Padawan, Aurine?"

She glanced around nervously, "He's in his room, Master Windu. I thought you only requested me for this meeting."

"I requested the Master, I assumed the apprentice would come with her," he said frostily.

"I'll get him if you wish," she said, secretly hoping that he would not take her up on the offer.

"I think that would be for the best," was the prompt reply from the Jedi Master.

So much for that idea, she thought to herself. Aurine sighed and rose from her chair and took the brief walk to her Padawan's room. She rapped on the door, "Sascha? Master Windu wants to see both of us."

"Well I don't want to see him," came the distorted reply from within.

She groaned and opened the unlocked door to find that her Padawan was lying in his bed fully clothed, staring up at the ceiling. His brown hair was tousled and his grey robe was unkempt, overall he looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Come on, Padawan. Master Windu is waiting and the longer it takes to see him, the worse his mood will be."

Sascha shrugged, "I'm not sure why I'm supposed to care."

"I'm sure you don't care, Sascha, but I'm asking you to do this for me. You can't hide in your room forever."

Her Padawan groaned incoherently and slowly dragged himself out of his bed. He moved so slowly, you could be forgiven for assuming that he was weighed down by an anchor.

Her heart went out to her Padawan, who usually was upbeat and friendly, now he was withdrawn and sullen. Her happy Padawan with a wicked sense of humour had been replaced by a depressed teenager who was trying to run from his problems rather than confronting them. Which was unfortunate, but even Jedi were human sometimes.

Still, he dutifully followed her back to Master Windu. Both now sat across from the Korun. Mace stared at her Padawan, while Sascha stared at the table, downcast. Aurine tried to break up the awkwardness, "So I assume that this is a debriefing for our mission? I filed my report and I know Sascha has as well."

The Korun folded his hands in front of him, "Usually, when speaking to a member of the Council, or any elder for that matter, you at least give him the courtesy of making eye contact."

Despite the obvious rebuke, Sascha continued to stare at the table. Aurine nudged him, not softly, in the ribs. Finally, Sascha looked up, made exaggerated eye contact with Mace and then resumed staring at the table.

Mace glanced at her for a moment and then returned his attention to Sascha, "I suppose that we might as well begin with something first reported by Padawan Harker. She said to me that you are attracted to each other, and even kissed. Is this true?"

"Yes," said Sascha, before she could think of a way to deflect the question.

"Are you...unaware of the guidelines surrounding attachment in the Jedi Order, or have you just decided to ignore them?"

"It's hard to ignore your feelings for someone," Sascha mumbled.

"It is hard," Mace agreed, "But we still do it."

Aurine leapt in smoothly to defend her Padawan, "Sascha and Tyra have a complicated relationship that they recently have put to rest, isn't that right, Sascha?"

"Yes," he whispered softly, keeping his eyes still firmly on the table in front of him.

This isn't going to go well if he doesn't look at Mace at all, thought Aurine. Trying to keep the conversation from focusing on Sascha, she spoke up, "This is all in the reports that we filed Master Windu, I'm not sure why we need to open up these fresh wounds. The situation is under control."

The Korun stared at Sascha who still refused to meet his eyes, before turning his gaze back towards her. "It does not appear to be under control. I would like to hear from the Padawan how a relationship was able to get to this point."

Sascha finally deigned to look up at the Jedi Master, "Tyra was…is my best friend. She's always been the most important person in my life." Then abruptly his voice faltered and his emotions poured out, "I just care so much about her. I'm sorry I'm a terrible Jedi." Sascha then broke down into tears, crying softly on the table, his emotions in the Force were a whirlwind of sorrow.

Mace took one look at the broken down apprentice and raised an eyebrow at her. She was frozen as to what to do in front of one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order. Should she comfort her apprentice? Make an excuse for his actions? She settled on a small showing of affection, placing a hand lightly on his back. Sascha seemed to not even notice the gesture, he just kept sobbing. Aurine bowed her head for a brief moment. How could she have let things get so bad?

"Your Padawan seems to be in some distress," said Mace flatly, in what might have been the understatement of the century.

"He's taken breaking up with his best friend rather badly," she replied mechanically.

Sascha looked at both Jedi for a moment, his eyes red rimmed with tears, "You shouldn't waste words on me, Masters, I'm beyond screwed up. I'm not a Jedi, I never was a Jedi, I was just masquerading as one." He then slumped over the table looking more like a drunk that has had one drink too many than a Jedi Padawan.

"Padawan Whitestar?" said Mace.

"Yes, Master Windu?" Sascha replied, though his voice was muffled by the sleeve of his robe.

"Please return to your room, it seems like I have much to discuss with your Master," Mace said sternly but not unkindly.

Her Padawan nodded fractionally and started to leave the room, his head bowed in defeat. Just before he left, he turned to Master Windu, a little bit of his usual spark in his eyes, "I just want you to know…what happened to me… it's not Master Brynar's fault, she's a wonderful Master, I just suck at being a Jedi." He then left without another word.

Aurine bit her lip, while it was not unheard of that a Jedi would be affected by a particularly difficult mission, this was one of the worst cases she could remember seeing. "How long has he been like this?" inquired Mace.

She shook her head, feeling helpless at watching what had transpired, "Since he broke off his relationship with Tyra. It's going to be a process, rebuilding him. I underestimated how much of his self worth he invested in being close to Tyra. And now what he's always viewed as a strength is now a weakness. I honestly am not sure what to do." She sighed, "I'm not as good of a Master as he thinks I am."

The faintest of smiles played across the Korun's lips, "I doubt that very much Master Brynar. You have a deeper bond with your apprentice in the short amount of time you've had him, than some Masters ever develop with theirs." Mace got up from his chair and began to pace, "You were also the Jedi Knight who saw what he could become. He was very close to leaving the Order entirely until you offered to become his Master."

"I fail to see how that makes me a good Master," she remarked bitterly, "Certainly it seems I've failed to protect him."

"Apprentices cannot be protected from everything, certainly if they are expected to become Jedi Knights and given missions of their own, they must face hardships when they have a Master to watch over them." The Jedi Master leaned over his chair, "I am surprised though, that you have not reached out for help."

The rebuke from the Jedi Master is clear and Aurine finds herself staring at the table, much like Sascha had earlier. "I was hoping that he would snap out of it, and I didn't want to draw any attention to him, and hopefully give him some privacy to deal with his issues. I apologize if I acted incorrectly, none of this was in the 'How to train your Padawan' guidebook." Aurine realized that her sarcasm was probably not going to be well received by Master Windu, so she bowed pliantly to the Jedi Master, "I only want what is best for my apprentice, though it pains me to admit that his problems exceed my expertise."

"A Master must know their boundaries as well," Mace said amiably, "Once we return to Coruscant, I will inform the healers to take care of your Padawan. He is not the first, nor will he be the last Padawan that has trouble in dealing with the mental trauma that can accrue from being a Jedi." The Korun paused and stroked his chin, "Quite a coincidence that Padawan Harker and Padawan Whitestar crossed paths on this mission. Did you know that your Padawan had fallen in love with Padawan Harker before you embarked on your mission?"

Aurine shook her head, "I knew that their relationship was a close one, and I knew that perhaps Tyra's feelings for him were deeper than she was willing to admit, but I always thought that Sascha was content with just being her friend. It turns out I was wrong. Very wrong."

Mace sat back down in his chair, "Young Padawans have struggled with the no-attachment rule since the day it was implemented, and we expect that some young Jedi will inevitably develop feelings for each other. It is in giving up these attachments that these young Jedi affirm that they are committed to walking the Jedi path. It is rare to have a Padawan that is so affected by the experience though."

"Sascha is an emotional person, and it's been a tough start to his career as a Padawan, I probably would have been a wreck if had to go through something similar at his age."

"The galaxy does seem to be growing ever darker," Mace said philosophically. "Requests for Jedi keep increasing and the missions that they are sent on seem to be growing more and more dangerous. In the past, it would be a rare mission would even have to draw their lightsaber. Now it is a common place."

Aurine nodded, not sure why Mace was telling her this. "A darker galaxy needs all the Jedi it can get," she said noncommittally.

Mace nodded slightly, "I suppose I'm getting off topic. Regarding Sascha, I'm sure time and the attention of the healers will help him deal with his emotional trauma. He will need your support as well, Aurine. I know you will not hesitate to give it, but be aware that he has to be the one that deals with his problems, otherwise the cycle will just repeat itself."

Aurine hesitated but asked a question that had been on her mind over the past few hours, "And if he is given time and he does not recover?"

Mace leaned back in his chair and considered the question, "Given his aptitude for research, he will likely be offered a chance to work in the Library or the archives, but his apprenticeship will be at an end. There is no shame in it, but you must know that it is not in every Jedi to become a Jedi Knight. Perhaps this is a sign from the Force as to what Padawan Whitestar's path will be."

Aurine bowed her head, she desperately wanted Sascha to reach the rank of Jedi Knight, but something inside of her whispered to her that he might not be cut out to be a Jedi Knight after all.

* * *

Sheev Palpatine, newly elected Chancellor of the Republic turned walked along the corridors of the Senate, listening to some unimportant aide prattling on about how combating pirating in the Seswenna sector would be a great opportunity to present himself as an advocate of 'law and justice.' _As if I_ _didn't let the pirates get so strong in the first place_ , the Chancellor thought with a sneer.

While the Chancellor was seen by many in the public as the last honest politician in the Republic, the public would be shocked to know that there would not be any more elections and that they had just elected their very own Emperor. For Sheev Palpatine was also known as Darth Sidious. And after nearly a thousand years, the Sith were about to be triumphant. And the best part was it happened right under the nose of the Jedi Order.

Things had been going along quite brilliantly for Darth Sidious, up until the Invasion of Naboo had failed and Darth Maul was killed. Not only had it given the Jedi the indisputable knowledge that the Sith were back, it had been a large setback to his plans. While he had been appointed Chancellor, as he expected and had planned, the crisis around Naboo was supposed to have gone on for several months longer. The successful resolution to that crisis was supposed to be his crowning achievement, enshrining him as the most beloved politician of the past hundred years.

But Maul's failure had ended all that.

The Jedi had tried their best to discover what they could about Darth Maul, but the Zabrak had always been good at concealing his tracks. The Jedi had found nothing, and Palpatine knew that it would make them even more suspicious. So he gave them something else to concentrate on.

While it was not public knowledge, there was a number of Jedi that had left the Order for varying reasons. Some quietly fell in love and left the Order to start families. Some just got tired of being a Jedi and retired to quiet worlds where they were left in peace. And some, like the ones he had personally made contact with, were malcontents.

It hadn't taken much prodding to encourage these ex-Jedi to cause havoc throughout the Republic. The stories about the havoc that had been caused had mostly been kept quiet. He had even helped in keeping the stories quiet, gaining the respect of the Jedi in doing so (the irony!). For their part, the Jedi had acted quickly to quell these ex-Jedi. But none of them had even come close to figuring out who was behind the sudden rise of ex-Jedi vigilantism.

No one except one young Padawan.

Sheev, still walking and being talked at by this aide, smiled out of the side of his mouth. So ironic that the Jedi wouldn't send an adult to take on a dangerous mission, instead sending a mewling child. The girl that the Jedi had sent to infiltrate his little organization of malcontents was so irrelevant that Sidious could barely even remember her name. But she had seen him, though she had only seen his usual cowled appearance that he usually used to contact people as Darth Sidious. His 'costume' was minimalist at best, but Sidious knew that hiding in plain sight was often better than some overly elaborate disguise.

Even though this Padawan had seen him and even talked to him, she had no details to trace him beyond his voice. Still, it had been a valiant attempt. Sidious had almost bought in to the idea that the girl was a young lovestruck Jedi. Her final test would have been to help Weliss with some of the...experiments that he was very interested in seeing the results of. He, like his old Master, Darth Plagueis, were interested in experimenting on force-sensitive individuals. If the girl had helped Weliss, he may have started to confide in her, and give her different assignments. She would have learned nothing about his true persona, of course, but given time, she may have been able to discover something that the Jedi could have used to discover who he was.

Still, everything had been wrapped up rather nicely. Weliss had been captured, and the Bothan had no information of any importance to reveal to the Jedi - if a Jedi investigated further, they would find no evidence that pointed anywhere near him, just a series of useless functionaries that were of little use to him.

Overall his plan had been a success, the Jedi had been distracted away from following up on Maul's death, and Palpatine had erased any clues that might have linked the two of them together. And it had taught him a lesson - the Jedi may be stagnating and blind, but they were still not to be underestimated. For no deception could ever be perfect. Even the deception of the Sith.

 **Fin**

* * *

 **And now, an excerpt from Book 3 of the Growing up Jedi Series**

Sascha Whitestar stared out the viewport of the _Emerald Dream_ at the approaching blue-green world of Ubrora. The planet looked more serene then many he had visited, and when he quieted his emotions and searched in the Force, the general emotion he found emanating from the planet was contentedness. That was as expected, Ubrora was a peaceful world and the Ubrorans themselves were a friendly, if isolationist people. Beside him in the cockpit in one of the passenger seats was Nara. The Togruta was trying very hard to conceal her restlessness, it seemed like Nara was just about fed up with being cooped up in the _Emerald Dream_. Sometimes he was shocked by how easily he perceived the Togruta's emotions and he wondered if Nara could do the same to him.

As if on cue, Nara leaned over and whispered, "I can feel you thinking about me again, don't get attached now, little human."

He whispered back, "You know it's just creepy when you do that right?"

Nara smiled, exposing her teeth, "Why do you think I do it then?"

Sascha suppressed a smile, Nara was an impetuous scamp, but she had also become a very good friend to him. Not since Tyra had he someone around his age that he worked so well with, but Nara was different then Tyra. Tyra had seemed always mature beyond her age, and looking back, Sascha had always treated her as if she was older than he was, even though they were the same age. He would never make the same mistake with Nara. The Torgruta was...well, impetuous and youthful, even though she was sixteen. Yet he got the sense that while Nara presented a brave front to the world, she was more uncertain about herself than she was willing to admit. Maybe she would admit it to him at some point. Maybe she wouldn't. He wouldn't press her either way.

"Only one landing beacon, that's quaint," remarked Master Brynar who was piloting the ship, "been a long time since I've been on a world where there is only one designated place to land on the entire planet."

"Ubrora doesn't get much traffic, Master, only the cargo haulers that come by once a month to get the new Thys roots."

"I understand why there is only one landing beacon, thank you Sascha," his Master replied sardonically.

Nettled, Sascha sat back in his chair, and made himself look busy by rechecking that his appearance was appropriate for a diplomatic function. Ubrora had never had a Jedi on its surface in all of its recorded history, so Sascha was looking forward to becoming a minor factoid in the history of a planet. He wondered if the Ubrorans would be disappointed by the appearance of the Jedi, for all their reputation, they were just four modestly dressed beings who came as diplomats, not as warriors. Some cultures thought of the Jedi as almost gods, Ubrora hadn't had time to come to its own decision yet, and it was their job to make sure that they Jedi came away well respected.

As the _Emerald Dream_ flew over the capital city of Bontha, Sascha tried to see as much as he could through the viewport, though it was a restricted view at best. As far as he could tell, Bontha was sprawling as cities went, lacking the skyscrapers that dominated many industrialized planets, the Ubrorans had instead built their city outward, making it quite big in terms of area, if not population. The preponderance of speeder traffic indicated that the Ubrorans dealt with the cities size by driving everywhere. Not a terrible solution, he decided,.

Aurine brought the _Emerald Dream_ in for a perfect landing at indicated hangar bay. The bay itself was rather small as hangar bays went, he estimated that it would only fit fifteen or twenty ships and it was bizarrely…foreign. There was a certain way that hangars were built across the galaxy, as sort of a homogenization of the galaxy occurred. Ubrora obviously hadn't gotten the memo. The walls of the hangar came in at awkward angles like it was a work of art rather than a building whose main purpose was to be functional. He noted with some amusement that there were even little murals painted on the sides. Nice. But weird.

As the party of four Jedi prepared to leave the shuttle, Tiplee gave them all a last minute reminder, "Remember, we are here to negotiate a treaty to bring this planet into the Republic so make a good impression. Considering that anyone can be transmitting audio and video feed at any time, be very careful of what you say, unless you are in private. Also, remember that this is a planet not used to aliens like us or Jedi, so be polite but firm when answering questions." The three other Jedi murmured acknowledgement. While Aurine and Tiplee were theoretically equals, both being Jedi Knights, Tiplee's diplomatic experience made her in charge by default. His Master didn't seem to mind, deferring easily to the more senior Jedi Knight.

Their landing party was waiting for them as the Jedi marched down the boarding ramp. Four Ubrorans, Sascha guessed that they were middle-aged or older by their elegant, robe-like clothing. The fox-like Ubrorans were all male, their fur ranged from auburn to deep brown in colour, and he was immediately struck by how bright and intelligent their eyes seemed to be. The Ubroran in the most elaborate robe stepped forward, and spoke in slightly accented basic, "Welcome to Ubrora, I am President Keicho Mollek and with me are Murgo Bokiana, mayor of our capital city, as well as two of my senior advisors, Bernon Seafire, and Dagos Tarwin." The Ubroans bowed politely as they were introduced.

Tiplee took the fore, speaking in a calm, clear tone, probably aware that this moment was being recorded for posterity at the least and quite possibly being broadcast live to millions of homes. "I am Jedi Knight Tiplee, and with me is Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar. Our apprentices are Nara Nalto and Sascha Whitestar respectively. We look forward to productive negotiations and ultimately bringing Ubrora into the Republic."

* * *

He cleared his eyes and read the next question, "Who is the better fighter, you or Nara?"

The Togruta grinned, "Allow me to demonstrate." Nara quickly put him in a headlock, not anywhere near as tight as she would had they been practicing unarmed combat, but it must have appeared tight to the viewer.

"Ack," he exclaimed. He quickly tapped on Nara's arm in surrender and she released the hold, "That wasn't nice, Nara."

"Aww, did I hurt you?" asked Nara playfully.

"No, you messed up my hair." He made a show of meticulously getting his hair back in its proper place.

The Togruta rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the camera, "I'm better, but Sascha is good in his own right."

"Thanks for the backhanded compliment," he said, swatting her lightly on the arm.

He looked down at the next question, "Why are your lightsabers different colours?" He smiled at that question, he was pretty sure that most schoolchildren on Coruscant could answer that question. "Well, why don't we show you?"

He withdrew his lightsaber from his hip and held it in front of him, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Nara doing the same. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breaking the lightsaber into its component parts with the Force, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw the constituent parts of his lightsaber floating in front of his eyes. It looked like the diagram that he had memorized as a young Initiate. He plucked out his teal focusing crystal with his hand and then concentrated again, reconstructing his lightsaber with the Force, just lacking the focusing crystal that would have produced the blade.

It was a cool trick, but one he had been doing for a long time. The unglamorous part of having a lightsaber was the maintenance of said lightsaber. Each individual part had to be inspected to ensure that it was in peak condition, because having a damaged part could be disastrous.

Sascha and Nara held their crystals in their palm, they were both unremarkable looking to the common eye, yet as a Force sensitive stone from the caves of Illum, they were anything but ordinary. "These crystals give the blade their hue, they are special stones that we both have a connection to. This allows my lightsaber to be more than just a weapon, it is a part of my arm, a manifestation of my connection to the Force."

"Neither of us chose the colour of our blades, and I have to admit I'm jealous of Sascha's rare coloured lightsaber, usually lightsabers are blue or green, and occasionally yellow."

"Teal is my favourite colour, so I was very happy to find that the crystal that I was connected to was that colour." He looked down towards his datapad to find the next question, but felt Nara prod him in the Force so he waited for her to speak up.

"I think some people will be interested in the story of how we find these crystals. As young Jedi we are taken to the sacred Jedi world of…well, I'm not sure I'm allowed to say what the name of the planet is, sorry. On this world we are taken to a cave to find our crystal that 'speaks' to us and us alone. I know that sounds hard to believe, but the crystal cave is meant to test a Jedi, and ensure that they are ready to take this next step in their training."

Nara swallowed hard before continuing, "I actually…failed, the first time I was brought to the crystal caves. I was younger than most when taken to the crystal caves, but because I was so talented an exception was made." Nara shook her head, sending her lekku swaying, "When I was young, I was so arrogant, I assumed that it would be so easy to find my crystal, I would just look into the Force and it would appear to me. Well, I spent hours in the cave, which was really cold, especially for a Togruta like me. I must have explored every inch of the cave, and seen a million different crystals, but none spoke to me. Eventually, I just got fed up, picked a green crystal that seemed to shine brightly and went back to the group."

"When I brought it back, the Masters asked to show them the crystals that we had found, and when it came my turn, I showed them my crystal. It was then that I truly saw it for what it was, it wasn't a crystal at all, it just a rock. I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed, the rest of the Jedi on the expedition made their lightsabers on their way back home, but I came back empty handed."

Sascha was trying hard to keep a neutral expression on his face, he had never heard this story from his friend, and could only imagine how traumatic it would have been to fail in such a public setting. He would have been an absolute wreck if he had failed to get a crystal from the caves on Illum.

The sombre Togruta continued her story, "When I was allowed to go back a second time, I was…scared that I wouldn't find my crystal and what that would mean for me, I almost didn't want to go in the cave at all. After a quick search, I found something that called to me, but when I grabbed it, I found that it was just a rock, not a crystal at all. I…kinda figured that it was a sign that I had no crystal that would speak to me, that I was a failure of a Jedi. I sulked back to Master Yoda, you Ubrorans don't know him, but he's the Grand Master of the Jedi Order."

"I came to him just balling my eyes out, I could barely see through my tears, 'Why do you cry, little Jedi?'" he asked me. I told him that I went through the entire cave but this was the only thing that spoke to me, and it was just a rock. There was this little grin on his face that confused me so much and he said, 'Hmm? A crystal I see, young Jedi.' When I looked down in my hand was just this unremarkable looking brown rock. 'I don't understand Master Yoda, it looks like a rock.'"

"Yoda crinkled his nose at me, 'Talented, you are, young Jedi, but not everything should come so easy. Sometimes, work for your goal, you must.' I was so confused, but if Master Yoda said my stone was a crystal, who was I to disbelieve him? So, I sat and looked at the stone, I looked at it through the Force, and then eventually I realized what it was. I took a small tool from my belt and chipped away at this stone, but as I chipped through it, I saw that there was a blue crystal underneath the layer of stone that had encased it."

Nara smiled, clearly remembering that moment, "I had to work for my crystal, harder than most, but whenever I ignite my lightsaber, I remember that hard work turned a rock into a crystal."

Sascha waited a respectable amount of time before speaking, "I had to climb a cliff wall to get my crystal, so in a way, you could say that I worked harder to get mine." He half expected Nara to punch him, playfully of course, but Nara resisted his obvious bait, seeming more composed and serene than usual.

"Let's move on to another question…."


End file.
